Canjam London – 20th August 2023

Introduction

It’s that time of year again for British headphone and earphone enthusiasts – a rare chance to get together in one large room and listen to all the audio goodies that you either a. can’t audition here because of our strict hygiene regulations or b. just can’t find on sale due to the UK market being about the same size as a politician’s conscience. This will be my fifth (?) Canjam, and one thing always remains constant – the sheer enjoyment most people get out of our niche hobby. It’s always good for the soul to see so many people in one room just enjoying music.

Unfortunately for me, this year’s trip was only a one-day wonder rather than the usual two day affair – there was a lot to cram in, so please take any impressions on gear below for what they are: 10 minute snapshots in a crowded and noisy room. Hopefully someone will find them useful!

Thanks go to Jude, Ethan and all the other various Head-Fi and non Head-Fi people involved in bringing this extravaganza to our shores again – if you keep building it, we’ll keep coming.

Spirit Torino

My first port of call on walking through the door was the Spirit Torino stand, manned by Andrea Ricci and the London-based daughter of one of his Spirit Torino colleagues, who was acting as translator for the day. I’m quite comfortable saying I’m a fan of the Spirit Torino house sound, owning both the original Twin Pulse from Spirit Labs and the Mistral Pro previously, and being the current owner of the Mistral Radiant. I deliberately made a beeline for their stand as I wanted to try out a new model that they have just launched, which marks their entry into the world of in ear monitors – the IEM Twin Pulse Beryllium (may just need to be shortened to Twin Pulse in future for catchier marketing).

IEM Twin Pulse Beryllium – 2xDD (isobaric design)

The IEM is a entirely CNC machined from aluminium, with a pretty unique shell design that looks vaguely reminiscent of a really ornate bullet. Even more unique is the fit – it actually slots into the ear very nicely with foam tips, but it is designed to point into the ear with the IEM cable mounted almost perpendicular to the barrel. It’s basically a steampunk riff on the old school Sony XBA-Z5 or EX1000 – pretty eye catching and more than a little unusual compared to the more modern pseudo-custom IEM designs, but it’s comfortable enough. Foam tips are recommended by the designer to ensure a uniform fit and seal, but I suspect the rubbery Xelastec tips from AZLA will also work well here, and help with fit.

In terms of technology, a high-flux neodymium motor drives a twin-diaphragm design, with both dynamic drivers being coated in beryllium and set up in an isobaric design, matching the bigger over-ear Twin Pulse designs. The whole idea is to reduce distortion and improve the transient response of the monitor, giving something with the characteristic physicality of a dynamic driver but the detailing and speed more akin to EST or armature drivers. The IEM is also carefully pressure vented in three different locations on the shell (ironically not the faceplate at the back, which looks semi-open but is actually just a solid metal plate in the characteristic Spirit Torino logo design) – this is done to better control the driver response, and also to reduce wearing fatigue for longer listening session. Obviously I can’t comment on that after a quick 10 minute audition in show conditions, but I did manage to acquire one of the Twin Pulse demo models at the end of the show, so I will be writing up a fuller review in due course.

So, what does it sound like? For starters, the tonality is tuneable, with a removable nozzle section that can be swapped out for one of three core tunings – basically, bass light, reference and bass-heavy, with the filters exclusively affecting low end response through venting. The demo model was set up for reference, which is reasonably linear with just a dollop of low end. Spirit Torino tune against isophonic preference curves (basically everything as loud as everything else), so they will never be anemic or overly light in the low end anyway.

The reference filters are quite Goldilocks – not overly bassy, not overly lean. Tracks like “Disc Wars” from the Tron Legacy soundtrack extend low and have a good if not overwhelming sub presence, but definitely enough to capture the dynamic shift and power in the track, which is a collaboration between Daft Punk and an orchestra. Sticking with Daft Punk, “Get Lucky” drops low and doesn’t lose its funk, giving a nicely liquid but deep sounding bassline. Moving over to bass texture, the bass guitar on “Bad Rain” by Slash is punchy and growling, keeping out a good amount of fine grain around the fat bass notes. Texture on the bass is palpable and rich.

Moving up to another orchestral track (“Palladio” by Escala), the detail around the bowed strings and subtle room sounds is so clear on it practically screams flagship, which is impressive considering this is pitched at just over the 1,000 euro mark. Switching up to something a little crispier, the Twin Pulse can get bright and a little tizzy on “Beat It” by Fall Out Boy, but it definitely captures the energy of the high octane MJ cover.

Giving it a little run in the treble test tracks I normally use, “Go” by The Chemical Brothers has a nicely prominent mid bass, with the swirling synth that wraps itself around the rhythm section of the track adding a nice sense of space to the sound. It’s suitably sparkly, and notably wid for an in-ear, definitely painting a wider staging than usual, with the synth runs coming in from way over the left shoulder. Giving it one final tester (this time for sibilance), “Whiskey And You” by Chris Stapleton sounds good, but bis ordering on harsh in the poorly mixed (or mastered – I’m never sure which) chorus, with lots of bite to Stapleton’s already gritty vocal. This IEM has high end resolution and technical capability, but it most likely won’t be one to forgive poor recordings. it’s never unpleasant, but definitely not an in ear that will coat everything in sugar and honey when the engineer covered it in broken glass and spikes.

Definitely bold, definitely not for everyone, but one of my listening highlights of the show, and an IEM I’ve ended up bringing home with me.

Soundz

It’s always fun coming across a new audio brand at a show like this. It’s even more fun when that brand produces one of the most surprising and just downright enjoyable tunings of the day. I spent a decent chunk of the day in three separate sitting with Alexis and the team at Soundz, getting an interesting potted history of their growth from a brand focusing on stage IEMs to where they are now, launching a full line of balanced armature designs aimed squarely at the audiophile market. They focus on all-BA designs, taking pains to point out they are using the latest generation armature designs from Sonion in their IEMs, allowing them to take advantage of the relative maturity of the BA designs and the rapidly advancing capability of the new drivers to produce in-ears that sound more like the sort of thing that could only be produced from a seriously beefy dynamic driver two or three years ago.

All the designs are based on a pseudo-custom shell, and are all pretty compact for the number of armatures they pack in, feeling quite reminiscent of the shell designs InEar use, but note quite as “custom”. most of the designs also offer a tiny bass switch on the bottom of the main faceplate, allowing for a serious bass boost when engaged, or a more linear (but not anywhere near flat) bass response with the boost turned off. My preferences lie firmly in basshead territory, so while I tried all the IEMs with switch both up and down, my core impressions with be with boost engaged, as that’s where maximum engagement and fun lays for my particular preferences. All models also come with a nice metal carry case, and a silver premium cable in a choice of connection as well.

It should also be noted that Soundz core market is custom IEMs, so all universal models are also available as customs for a few hundred euro more, in a variety of shell designs. Their custom models also offer an ambient porting option, which acts as both pressure relief and allows the listener to hear noise from outside, which is essential for stage musicians – it apparently makes the IEMs sound more like open back headphones, but as they didn’t have any “custom demos” with them, I can’t confirm or deny that assertion. They also have some other pretty interesting technology involving flexible resin nozzles on the customs, which are supposed to dramatically enhance comfort and fit. Again, not something I’m able to comment on directly.

Flame – 8 BA with tuneable bass boost switch

Kicking off the demo tracks with Emile Sande, the sub bass on “Heaven”is substantial, with her vocal cutting through a little crisp and sharp. There is plenty of thump coming from the all-armature design, which sounds a lot more DD than BA in terms of physicality and slam. Soundz apparently use newest generation Sonion quad-BA stack (presumably vented) for lows, and it’s a beauty. The quad-BA does another fantastic job on “Disc Wars” – the soundscape is thick and thrumming, with plenty of dynamic swing as the timpani start pounding.

Sticking on Daft Punk, the “Get Lucky” mid bass punches pretty damn hard, with the flame definitely moving some serious air with very good low extension. It’s not stereotypically dry like a lot of BA designs, with lots of liquidity and roundness to the bass guitar notes of “Hello, It’s Me” by Sister Hazel. Despite the liquidity, it still retains a good texture, feeling thick, but still letting the listener hear the strings resonating. Going for another texture test, the “Bad Rain” bassline is dirty and aggressive, just as it should be. Guitars crunch with very good definition and bite. This is not a relaxed or laid back monitor, erring far more on the side of being very lively and engaging. It produces some BIG sounds for something that is barely the size of a normal single DD shell.

Firing up “Palladio” by Escala, this is one of my usual test tracks to check both weight in the low and mi ranges, and also masking in the bass / mids transition. There is a click in the lower eft half of the soundscape around the 20 second mark (some room noise from one of the orchestral players), which can get lost quite easily on gear that blurs the bass to mids transition, or beefs up the low end too much. On the Flame, there is fantastically clear detailing on the click, surrounded by lots of texture from the cello and strings. Sage positioning is fairly close on these, with the listener being placed close to the instrumentation, which spreads out around the head rather than sitting the listening position further back. This has the added benefit of giving the Flame a notably large note size, which is always a good indicator in my book that I will enjoy the sound.

In terms of timbre, piano tone on these IEMs is rich but fairly realistic – it leans more towards warm and euphoric than cold and accurate. Other technicalities are also at a pretty high level for the price tag, with “We Shall not be Moved” by Mavis Staples showing fantastic detailing in the chorus and just general instrumentation. The baritone vocal in the chorus is clear as a bell but quite low in the mix, as it should be. It’s overall very good with choral vocals full stop, leveraging the technical benefits of armatures without needing to resort to analysis.

Listening to more guitar based fare, “World On Fire” by Slash comes through the nozzles as crunchy as you like, actually bordering on harsh. i’m not usually a fan of brighter signatures, but this doesn’t actually bother me, so it’s just on the right side of the line to give zest without being unpleasant. As with most things, I suspect this could probably be toned down with tips, most likely foamies. Again, difficult to tell from a few short auditions, but I imagine this has the possibility to get fatiguing if you pair the IEMs with a naturally bright source, but for the energy and anima the tuning imparts, it’s definitely worth the “rush” for me. “Shadow Life” from Slash is similar – staccato and crunching, but with a razor sharp edge. Not unpleasant though.

The last Slash track in the random Slash rotation is “Starlight” – the dissonant harmonics that pepper the start of the track are off the scale pinpoint and crystalline but not hard to listen to at all. Hats off to Soundz here – they have pulled off a classical V-shaped tuning with plenty of bass and a bright treble, but it’s very well done. Similar results occur with Chris Stapleton and his sibilance masterpiece; the thickness of the vocal notes are good enough to fill out the air around the edges of each word in that problematic chorus and make them pleasant but audible, in a very gritty and emotive rendition.

Switching up top “Go” sounds suitable booming. The swirly synths swoop and glisten where they should, and listeners feet also tap when they should. “Omen” by The Prodigy again sounds very high energy, with the warbling synth in the top right of the stage wending in and out behind the wall of noise very clearly. They have obviously designed the upper frequencies to be robust enough to cut through the wall of bass being produced underneath, and it works pretty damn well here.

Overall, these are a V-shaped bass-prominent (with the switch on) masterpiece of engaging and fun tuning. The latest-gen armatures in use allow a lot more technical proficiency to underpin the fat bass and crunchy upper end, giving a sound that feels like it’s turned up to 11, but without losing that sense of detail and clarity that you get with a proper high end in ear. This was the IEM I came back to most in my day at Canjam, and the other IEM I managed to arrange to take home with me at the end of the day. As with the Twin Pulse mentioned above, a full review will be coming on this one in due course.

Wave – 7BA with bass boost switch

Despite spending a fair bit of time on the Flame, I thought I’d better try some of the other models as well, just in case I was missing something different in the Soundz lineup. The Wave is the next model down in their current line, and shares a very similar design, sporting one less BA in a practically identical shell. It also has the selectable bass tuning switch, with a similar level of boost.

So, where is the difference? In simple terms, the Wave is slightly more linear than the more V shaped Flame. This manifests mainly in a slightly more forward and flat midrange – listening to “Heaven” by Emile Sande again, the vocal is definitely a shade more forward in comparison, and consequently feels a little sharper in the ear. It has the same sense of power and weight as the Flame, but not quite the finesse. Paradoxically, by flattening the mid and not pushing the treble quite so far up, it draws an almost more more raw and edgy sound out in the mids by highlighting them a bit more. For my preference, the Flame is the better (in both tuning and technicality), but only by a very small margin in both.

Avant – 10BA with bass boost switch

Unsurprisingly, Avant is also similar to the 8BA Flame, but this time packing two more armature drivers as the top model in the line in a slightly thicker shell. In fact, it’s packing slightly more of everything – for me, it’s just the smallest shade clearer in the detailing and smoother in the highs (marginally). It’s basically more of the same excellence, but with an extra 400 euro tag on top for subtle hints of extra refinement.

Being honest, refinement isn’t why the Soundz range appeals to me – it’s all about that bombastic bass and raw, emotive upper end dragging you into the music and getting your feet tapping away unexpectedly. Make no mistake, this is a logical flagship for their range, but for me, the sweet spot is the Flame. Spot on (and impressive) technicalities for a c. $1k in-ear, and superlative engagement. Whatever Sonion are putting in the water for this new generation of balanced armature woofers is definitely working – the line between DD and BA has never been blurrier, even as the notes get clearer.

FiR Audio

One of my other key destinations for the day was the wide-ranging set of Elise Audio stalls. They are a relative newcomer to the UK audio dealer scene, but between them and Hifonix it seems they took up half the stalls in the show, so they seem to have their fingers in a LOT of pies in terms of brands right now.

The monitor I was most interested to check out was the FiR Audio Radon 6, which sits somewhere between their Xe6 and Kr5 models in terms of tuning, and alongside the Xe6 in terms of sharing the co-flagship slot.

Radon 6 – 1 DD 4 open BA 1 EST

FiR seem to have done some work on the sizing of their demo models, with the Radon 6 seeming a nice chunk smaller both in the hand and in the ear. It shares the DD / BA / EST setup from their other top end models, along with the all metal modular shell and the “Kinetic Bass” ported DD that plays directly into the outer ear, aiming to generate the same sort of bone conduction sound transfer you get at a live gig. It’s a slightly different take on things to the Sonion BC drivers, but generates a similar outcome, with a difficult to describe but easy to hear “physicality” to the sonic staging.

Kicking off with Emile Sande (noticing a theme here?), there is a nice solid sub bass ntro into “Heaven”. The staging on this track feels very three dimensional – snare drums feel slightly forward and just “right”, with a good sense of height. Sande’s vocals here are peppery but smooth, with a nicely analogue sheen cast over the harsher elements of her deliver by the Radon’s multi-driver blend. “Disc Wars” throws up a good but not great rendition, with the peripheral sounds popping up all over the soundscape. it’s fair to say the Radon 6 has the most pronounced spherical staging of all the models I’ve tested today.

Going to bass texture, “Hello, It’s Me” is fat and thick, with clarity in the reverb and very good layering / separation but also an effortless smoothness. This IEM won’t dazzle you with resolution, but it’s hi-fi enough to make sure you don’t miss anything either. There is more detail in the sound than you think there is on first listen, so it actually does itself down in the overall wow factor while still throwing some decent punches in the flagship space. It’s never going to be a resolution monster, but if you’re buying something where the key sales pitch is the tactile bass, that probably wont be an issue. Going back to texture, “Palladio” is very good and rich souding, but the small click in the foreground is fairly subdued and washed over by the bass underneath (yet still there if you listen out).

The guitars on “World On Fire” crunch along merrily, with lots of jagged edges to the fat guitar chops. “Shadow Life” sounds musical, with the slightly slower decay tuned in to the Radon (it’s NOT a quick IEM in terms of audible transient response) giving a nice organic tone to the stop/start main riff. “Millionaire” by Chris Stapleton highlights the euphonic beauty of the sound with certain instruments, with the chiming guitar that kicks the track off underneath Stapleton’s sandpaper roar sounding unfailingly sweet and ringing in the ear.

I didn’t get chance to listen to much more through the Rn6 due to the fact everyone wanted a turn, but overall, it sounds like a very good IEM, but not a mind-blowing Ley good one. I suspect it’s the sort of tuning that will grow on you as you realise there is nothing really missing, so if you have the money, it’s a very good all rounder. On the flip side, there are similarly good all rounders for a LOT less dollar (the Rn6 clocks in at a few pennies under 3,000 UK pounds, so it’s firmly in the megaTOTL price bucket). If you’re looking for something to wow, this probably won’t blow enough of your hair back to justify the price tag, but if you’re looking for a long term flagship companion, the dial may just swing back the other way.

Canpur

Another brand I’ve not come across before, Canzur arrived fully loaded at the show with no less than 8 models on display, ranging from single DD and single BA models at just over 100 euros all the way up to a 3399 flagship packing 6 BAs, 2 next-gen bone conduction motors and 2 EST drivers. As the flagship was a. Out of my price range and b. Being enjoyed by Head-Fi main man Jude Mansilla while I was sat at their booth, I settled for trying the CP54E first, consisting of 5 armatures and 4 EST drivers.

CP54E – 5BA 4EST

Out of the gate, the shell size was small but I struggled to get a perfect fit with the tips that were recommended – can’t see this being a huge problem for most users though, as I do have abnormally large ear canals. Sonically, the sound is the very popular audiophile style of neutral tuning with a small lift in the subs to give it just a bit of weight. These don’t come across as the most beefy or imposing of in ears in terms of sonics, but they don’t feel lightweight either. It will be a nicely judged tune for someone who leans more towards neutral / linear rather than a V or U shaped sound, but still wants a little bit of fun injected into proceedings.

As you would expect with 4 EST drivers, there is plenty of clarity, things like the cymbals in “Get Lucky” by Daft Punk coming through crisp and very cleanly. Oddly, the detailing in Palladio is less audible than I expected, but the texturing in the cello is all there and it’s still a very clear and insightful rendition of the neo-classical track. For an all-BA set, there is a nice punch of physicality in songs like “Beat It” by Fall Out Boy, the armature drivers moving a little bit of air to give the track some decent anima.

Guitar sounds are crispy, with less chug and more edge to notes for slightly thinner and leaner rendition than a lot of. This is an IEM that will work well with rock and metal.

Overall, a very tasteful sound – at 1699 euro it’s priced a little outside my comfort zone for the sort of tuning it offers, but it doesn’t sit in my usual preferences either. There is definitely some accomplished design going on here, so will look forward to hearing what else they come out with when I next get a chance.

CP622B – 6BA 2BC 2EST.

Now this is more like it. After a personal recommendation from the man Jude himself (after he’d finished listening), I managed to grab a quick session with these. The sound coming from their BC model is immediately bigger and a lot grander in both note size and staging. It’s a much more engaging and fun tuning that grabs you from the go, with the unique magic of bone conduction helping to create that physical sensation and engagement in the ears that almost takes you to a live gig situation.

Bass is thick and voluminous, with lots of sub emphasis. It’s a owerful sound that fils up the low end convincingly on tracks like Heaven and Disc Wars but doesn’t muddy up the overall signature. Overall tuning is sort of W shaped – they aren’t the thickest through the midrange, but there is a nice balance to the musicality that keeps things in check with the bass and offers some pretty good technical chops. On tracks like “Mother Maria” with lots of breathy vocal and layers of guitar, there is a sweetness to the sound and a nice clarity and roundness to the breathy vocals of Beth Hart, pushing the listener forward towards the music. again, another CA “in the music” style tuning. The guitar opening on “Millionaire” by Chris Stapleton sounds as good as anything I’ve heard today, which is no small feat.

Overall, too rich for my meagre budget but definitely can hold its own in the deep end of the current flagship market. Shells are much thicker but very comfortable in the ear. One interesting point that was notes is that these use the newest generation of Sonion bone conduction motors, which are targeted at the 2-3Khz range rather than being more full spectrum or bass-focused, so they are specifically poking at adding realism to vocals and mid range instrumentation with the newer version.It will be interesting to see manufacturers start blending the old and new BC motors alongside the other usual hybrid tech to get a more “full spectrum” conduction experience in future.

Elysian Acoustics

Annihilator– 1DD 4BA 2EST

This is a more classic audiophile sound compared to a lot of monitors I have listened to today. It’s not lacking in solidity, but it really is a lot more linear than some of the crazy low end tunings that have been on show in the ballroom this weekend. Bass is punchy and more sub than mid focused. There is bags of slam and air movement, with a genuine ice cream headache feeling coming on when you crank the volume on “Beat It”. Cymbals on that track feel crisp and zingy, with a good presence that cuts across the vocal and guitar. Instrument weight is middling, with a lot of rawness around electric guitar. No one would ever accuse this IEM of being laid back or sleepy, it’s a high energy, high contrast journey from the word go.

“Holy Wars” by Megadeth positively roars out of the earpieces, with just a hint of splashiness in the cymbal work but otherwise plenty of heft to Mustaine’s guitar work. “Three Chords” from southern rockers Goodbye June sounds positively radiant, the space presented on the stage for sonic reflections around the simple guitar refrain giving a great “in the studio room” vibe to it. It’s one of the few IEMs that has got my foot tapping today without producing more bass than a club woofer stack, which says a lot.

The body shape of the IEM shell is middling, with a flashy gold faceplate and a very polished feel to the build. Cable is thin but obviously aftermarket, and suits the Annihilator well. I’d categorise this as a capable flagship tier stuff for all but the most mid-averse listener – it even works for bassheads like me.

Nightjar Acoustics

Another brand gathering some serious momentum at the moment is Sangaporean brand Nightjar acoustics. I spent a bit of time with the main designer (but not enough to get his name, sadly!), and they definitely have a refreshing take on what they want to produce for the IEM market in terms of tuning, and filling some gaps that are there in terms of tuning.

Singularity- 1DD

First up for me to demo was their new high end single DD model, called the Singularity – now THIS has a good sub bass kick. The Singularity provided plenty of woomph to “Heaven” by Emile Sande, definitely with a sub bass bias but the vocal still managed to sound forward and a little sweet. No harshness is apparent on Sande’s voice, which is impressive given the less than stellar mastering.

Loading up some Daft Punk, “Disc Wars” is the beefiest it’s sounded on the day, and “Get Lucky” is presented with a nice mid bass punch and a very liquid and well extended bass. The Singularity isn’t a total basshead sort of tuning, but bass is large and prominent in the signature, just without crowding or overshadowing the mids and treble on the stage. If I had to define it, it’s technically a flattish sort of tuning in terms of relative quantities between the frequency bands – it’s very far from flat when you listen, though!

Sticking with the bass tunes, “Hello, It’s Me” is again presented its a nice liquidity to the bassline, but it still manages to sound quite textured. This isn’t in the ultra detailed bracket like some flagships, but clarity is still very good overall, and very impressive for the price (somewhere a little north of 1000 pounds). The grit and growl of the electric bass in “Bad Rain” positively howls out of the IEM nozzle, with plenty of weight and physicality to the drum slams underneath – this is my sort of in ear.

“Palladio” by Escala is cavernously deep, and the bass just about manages to steer clear of the little click detail at 20 seconds in, but it’s a close run thing. “Holy Wars” sounds thick and thrashy with a really fat drum fill, but not blurriness or smearing of the sounds as the track careers forwards. Whatever they are doing with the dynamic driver, it’s working. Creamy mids – check. Nicely crisp cymbals that don’t dominate or grate – check. Fatness to guitars and bass, an an overall warmth that makes music very enjoyable – double check.

No point doing a more detailed analysis on these, they are fantastic for fans of a musical signature that still want a highly technically capable IEM. Just a shame they were completely sold out on the day (and of their entire first run). Can imagine these becoming a very popular audiophile standard on the scene shortly.

Even the design is top drawer – the shells are small, solid metal and light but very ergonomic, with the unusual singularity venting design like a textured series of 3D swirls on the faceplate in gold. it matches nicely with the cable, which is thin and very manageable. This IEM is the epitome of a pick up and play tuning taken to its logical flagship level conclusion. It’s just a shame it takes them so long to manufacture!

Duality – 2DD with pass porting design

The Duality was at the show as a demo model, and is not in production yet. They were reasonably coy about the design, but did confirm it consists of 2 dynamic drivers (one low, one mid/high). It was presented in a generic acrylic shell so I can’t comment on the intended design there, but it wil come with an optional impedance adapter to add an additional +5dB or thereabouts of bass shelf to the sub bass.

Sonically, the first thing you notice about the Duality is the fact it has stunningly good timbre, faaaaaat bass and still good mid and treble extension. When this launches, it will be the real deal for people who like low end in their music. It takes on design houses like Empire Ears and IMR Acoustics for raw grunt, but there is a musicality and overall balance to the tuning that really makes it something special.

It’s always a little misleading writing about demo tunings, but for a XXx tuned monitor, this is very rich, very thick but still resolving and ultimately very enjoyable. Even though the impedance adapter that makes it harder to drive than a nuclear power plant (in IEM terms), the added 5dB of low and sub bass makes “Palladio” by Escala absolutely boom out of the earpieces. It’s like being in a concert hall near the front by the large stack of Marshalls, just facing down the wall of air. Very fun.

One point to note about both of the nightjar models I tried is that they do require a really significant amount of power from your source to get to a decent listening level. This is an intended part of the design (so they can scale with higher end or more powerful amplification), but it does mean you’ll need to pair them with something beefy to get the best out of the sonics. Fortunately my Lotoo PAW6000 had no issues on high gain, but I did notice I had to run them a good 20 points higher on the volume pot than anything else on the day I tried that wasn’t an over-ear.

Vision Ears

VE10 – 1DD 9BA

Another popular stall was the Vision Ears stall, where Marcel from VE was happy to discuss the vagaries of IEM design with anyone who happened by. I didn’t have chance to try their Aura collar with A&K, but did make sure I found time to listen to the new flagship from their VE serious, the VE10.

Firing it up, the sub bass starts out strong on the usual test tracks by Emile Sande and Daft Punk, with some notably good positional cues and incidental sounds coming through on “Disc Wars”. The signature is rich yet quote balanced, definitely leaning towards a WTO my tired ears.

The shell design and build is amazing – low profile, very unique looking and very premium metal build and feel. It feels like a real step up from the acrylic models in my opinion. Back to the music, and “Get Lucky” has a nice punch of mid bass and a low and elastic bass line which doesn’t overpower. “Palladio” is again rich but balanced, with the detail coming through cleanly and not getting swallowed up by the richness of the strings. The “Beat It” bass drums slam with intent, and the guitar tone is fat and channels pure EVH. “Cello Wars” by the Piano. Guys is a change of pace, givin a very enjoyable and dense rendition to the orchestration, balanced against some delicate plucking clearly audible on the picked string notes in the intro section.

This IEM matches up to every expectation I had for VE based on their VE8 and Erlkonig tunings, adding a slap of solid DD physicality to that rich and slightly wet balanced tonality that makes their house sound. “Holy Wars” sounds really powerful in the drum fills, and nicely bright in the cymbal work. Not a hint of congestion, and the speed of the DD driver is impressive. Similar for “Ship Goes Down” by Walking On Cars, the sub bass that drenches the track envelops the music without overpowering it.

Switching back to more acoustic intrumentation, this is another IEM that excels with the tone of “Millionaire” by Chris Stapleton and the sweetness of the jangling nylon strings on his guitar intro. Piano tone across the board also sounds very real, with “Superman” by Five For Fighting giving a very smooth but still clear rendition, with the piano overtones and richness leaving a lasting impression in the ear, along with the surprisingly chunky bass.

“Go” by The Chemical Brothers is equally as enjoyable, the VE10 rendering a bright but punchy dance along from the UK electronic duo, with a driving cymbal track and a euphoric chorus. This is again another example of a tuning that is almost “balanced for bassheads” in its execution, with a wide but not over large stage and a big sonic presentation. The VE10 is a thick, warm and resolving IEM, with plenty of punch and flagship grade tone and resolution. It’s a very accomplished in ear, and the sort of tuning a flagship should aspire to (in my humble opinion) – just damn good fun.

Noble Audio

Spartacus – 4BA, 2BC

After owning the Kublai Khan for the best part of a year until very recently as my daily driver, it’s fair to say I am a fan of the overall Noble “house sound”. Again, their booth was pretty heavily subscribed over the time I was there, so I took the opportunity to check out one of their newest models that is just going into production, which also happens to be the latest one in their range to use bone conduction trickery.

The Spartacus has a nicely hefty sound – what are they putting in the BA water these days at Knowles and Sonion?! Overall, it sounded crisp, and quite forward – I need more time to make a better assessment, but if I had to try and pin the sound down, it feels most like a W shape from my brief impressions.

In the low end, “Heaven” and “Disc Wars” are both rendered with plenty of body, ignoring the fact there is no dynamic driver in this design to give a warm, chunky bass underpin to proceedings. The bass is north of neutral but definitely not wooly or smoothed over – “We Shall Not Be Moved” by Mavis Staples is full of micro detail in the lows, with the vocals hitting that Noble sweet spot of being…. well, forward and sweet. Bass is slightly softer than a classic DD in terms of sheer physical slam factor, but has a nice textured detailing. They have also done a really nice job with the coherency of the design – sounds blend really nicely, it isn’t easy to work out when BA ends and BC begins.

This model moves in to production as we speak, and should be a pretty strong contender in the sub $2k bracket it is being aimed at by the time it hits shelves. It has that richness and thickness of tone that classic Noble models like the K10 had, but plenty of resolve behind the weight too. It’s a nicely judged tuning, reminding me of models like the MMR Balmung in the way it definitely leans to the thick and musical, but without sacrificing much if anything in terms of clarity. Even Chris Stapleton sounds whiskey soaked but smooth through these, with only a whiff of that vinegary rasp that almost ruins “Whiskey and You” in the chorus every time you listen to it.

Shell design is recent Noble, so acrylic with a nice stabilised wood look to the faceplate. I think this could be the warmer, more musical successor to the Kublai Khan, adding slightly more weight and low end to the sound in exchange for the smallest bit of flagship level detailing. This will definitely resonate with people looking for a more musical model in the Noble range, or fans of the original Kaiser that put them on the map. Very good.

Effect Audio

I popped by the Effect Audio booth to try out the other Elysian Acoustics model on my hit list for the day, their collaboration with EE called the Gaea.

Gaea – 1DD 4BA

initial impressions are that this is not the thickest sound, with a pretty zesty V shape to the tuning. It definitely feels prominent and a little thin in the upper mids / lower treble, but with a very clear nod towards musical rather than analytical though. Starting on the lows, “Disc Wars” sounds ok-ish, with enough sub presence to hold interest, but it isn’t dominating the soundscape like it should on this track. Detail retrieval sounds good to very good for the price bracket (c. $1500). The drum fill that sweeps in to the track just lacks a little weight and dynamics compared to some other IEMs I’ve heard today, almost like the traditional BA texture vs DD slam sort of difference.

There is lots of texture and dryness on the bass guitar for “Hello, It’s Me” by Sister Hazel, and the drums practically crack in the ear they are so punchy and crisp. This IEM is borderline thin and slightly upper-mid prominent overall, so not really my bag, but the detailing is undeniable (the “Palladio: click is clear as day, for instance).

There is no denying it’s visually very nicel looking, with a small and ergonomic shell and an unusual but nice looking and feeling cable. Final impression it left me with was this it is a good IEM, but just for someone else when it’s paired with the stock cable.

On recommendation from the EE team, I tried it with their show pairing of the Cadmus (referred to as “The Beast” by them for reasons that will become apparent). That cable is thicker than the rope I used to tow my car the last time it broke down, and about as ergonomic, but it does feel very luxurious and nice in the hand. It’s like the original Dunu Hulk went to finishing school. It does add a shade more weight and depth to the GAEA low end, and definitely ups the resolution across the finer micro details to my ears, which was a pleasant surprise. There is more dynamism in the bass sweep on “Disc Wars” with this pairing. Similarly, “Hello, It’s Me” feels more liquid in the bass guitar, but the snap on the snare and the crunch on the guitar is even more prominent now. More of a good thing if you are looking for a monitor that has a healthy raise and focus on the upper mids / female vocal registers, but still not quite for me. I can see how it would be an affordable flagship for someone, though (affordable in the ironic modern day audiophile sense of the word, obviously).

Ultimate Ears

Ultimate Ears are a brand I have always wanted to hear, given their heritage and place as an original pioneer in the in-ear industry.. Sadly in this instance, it was more a case of “never meet your idols” than love at first sight, definitely with the two models I tried anyway.

UE Premier – 20 BA 1 Truetone BA

The demo shells for the current UE flagship model are huge – old V1 of JH Audio Siren Series huge. National deficit huge. Not small. Almost too big to contemplate putting in your ears big. Fit is actually ok, once you pilot them in, but the foam tips supplied but he UE rep did most of the lifting in keeping them in and stable. The size of the design is almost at odds with the Linux BaX series cable it is paired with, which is almost non existent. A very interesting set of design choices.

Moving on the to sonics, the bass on this model is solid and rounded, with a nice fill to the sub bass into on “Heaven”. “Disc Wars” sounds deep but quit laid back, the Premier sounding rich and velvety rather than powerful. There is an almost languid nature to these in ears which makes the decay quite soft and relaxing – I can see why they are designed for stage musicians, as I can’t imagine any form of listening fatigue being an issue after extended sessions with these. Bass texture is very liquid but almost smoothed over compared to other gear I’ve heard today. Vocals sound smooth and smoky, definitely with a slight haze or Sennheiser style veil (they aren’t actually veiled, that’s just the impression they give).

Looking for more resolution testers, the Premier don’t pick up the fine click in Palladio at all – there is just too much warmth and softness all around to pull it into the listener’s consciousness. I imagine these will be very enjoyable for listening to music, and the timbre is fantastically realistic, but they are just too warm and smooth for the flagship tier price for my taste. If I had to price them myself, I’d say anything over $1k would be pushing it for the level of capability and lack of engagement these offer sonically.

UE Live – 1DD 6BA 1 truetone BA

The next model down is their 8 driver hybrid, adding a DD to the design and losing a load of drivers. The demo shells for this are much smaller but better fitting. unsurprisingly they have a very similar overall sound to the Premier, feeling warm, smooth and rich. They miss the same audio cues as the Premier in tracks like Escala – there is a nice feel of weight and a decent sense of richness, but the visceral slam of the DD feels a little light to really set this tuning off. They come across as a technically average set in their competing price bracket, so unless you are in the market for a stage-tuned monitor with decent separation and layering but average resolution and a warm and darkish tone, this probably won’t be for you.

Despite the fact I usually like “stage tuned” in ears, I’ve come to the conclusion that UE are not the brand for me. There seems to be something there in the macro elements of the sound like layering and separation, but they just seem too blunt and lacking in any real crispness or resolution to justify the price tags they are charging. Definitely a case of different strokes for different folks, I think.

Campfire Audio

The Campfire Audio stall was manned by the usual Hifiheadphones team, so I dropped by to check out the one model currently on my hit list to hear:

Solaris Stellar Horizon – 1DD 3 dual diaphragm BA

The original Solaris was my first real “love affair” type IEM, and was my daily driver for well over a year before it was replaced by the Solaris 2020, so it’s fair to say I’m a fan.

The new model has an unexpectedly solid sub and mid bass for a Solaris. It’s not a basshead monitor, but definitely not lean or dry either, giving very musical initial impressions for me. “Hello, It’s Me” is smooth and mellifluous, but the guitar is well separated and spiky. Vocals sounds textured but almost dry and powdery, with lots of surface texture. Staging size is good, as you would expect from a Solaris model. The IEM zooms you in to the middle of a large sphere of sound, making things sound big and all around you rather than grand but far away like at a concert or festival.

Searching for detail and masking, “Palladio” is very clear with the subtle detailing, and other similar test tracks show a similar level of resolve. “Resplendence” by Foy Vance almost gives an ice cream headache in the midbass, which is the way the track is mastered, with nicely chiming and subtle acoustic guitar strums sitting on top of the wall’o’low below. The drum fill on “Holy Wars” sounds dynamic, but the cymbals sound thin and splashy, with all fizz and no weight. They sound almost plastic.

“We Shall Not Be Moved” by Mavis Staples has vocals that are on point, and all strands of the blended chorus are clearly distiguishable. On “Whiskey And You”, Chris Stapleton’s vocal is pushed up front, and does get a little grating in the troublesome chorus. “Go” from The Chemical Brothers has crisp and very prominent cymbals in the mix, still not the smoothest or weightiest though. To be honest, if you have already headed the Solaris and like it, there is not much to fault with this IEM sonically,. It could just do with a little less metallic thinness around the edge of notes to really be considered top tier flagship grade for me.

The physical build is fantastic in the hand and in the ear – it’s a beautifully made and designed IEM, with an unusual but not cheap feeling or looking cable which evokes the old PC leads of yesteryear. Realistically though, the current price of 2500 USD just feels a little too much for this model though, especially considering the pricing of the previous iterations.

ICE Labs

It’s always fun finding new manufacturers at shows, and the very friendly team at Flash Acoustics / ICE Labs were very eager to chat, with some nice looking cables and an unusual looking flagship IEM (the Ice Lab Prismatica) on display.

Prismatica – 5BA

Th Prismatica sounds pretty deep for a 5-BA model, with a nice sense of grandeur with “Disc Wars”. On “Get Lucky”, the mid bass is surprisingly prominent, with very good extension on the bass notes. The whole sound is quite forward, evoking the classic Campfire Audio sort of “big and in the mix” sort of presentation rather than leaving the listener sat in the auditorium. “Bad Rain” by Slash is presented as a thick and muscular sound, with a good mount of growl to the bass. “Palladio” is dynamic and detailed, with good levels of clarity. There is a little bleed in the bass to mids, but just enough to warm the stage rather than mask any obvious detail.

This is ICE Labs’ first foray into the European market, with a midrange (c. $700 – 800) model that definitely punches above its weight in terms of tuning and technicality. The shell design is small, neat and all metal, and. The accessories and case both look like a higher end manufacturer loadout than a startup. In a lot of ways, the Prismatica remind me of the legendary Andromeda from Campfire Audio, just with an plated tuning and a slightly less holographic staging. That’s not a bad place to start.

Favourites of the day

IEMs – Nightjar Singularity, Nightjar Duality (demo), Vision Ears VE10, Spirit Torino Twin Pulse, Soundz Flame

Headphones – Meze 109, Hifiman Susvara

Summary

Coming to events like this can sometimes feel a little overwhelming, trying to cram in as many stalls and demos as possible into the limited time you are there while also talking to like minded enthusiasts and just enjoying the tons of good gear that is knocking around eerywhere. This year was one of my most enjoyable visits yet – the gear on display is unquestionably getting better, with a LOT of gear in the sub $1k bracket now either matching or outperforming models that cost 2k or significantly more just a few years back. There also seems to be a refreshing movement across multiple manufacturers to tune more bass and thickness back into the all-pervasive “Harman tuned” models that have dominated the market for the last few years, which is really refreshing.

Overall, there was a lot of unique and engaging in ears on display at Canjam this year, with a fatter, chunkier sound that still keeps the technicalities that all of us audiophiles crave. I’m very much hoping this trend is here to stay, and also very much looking forward to coming back next year and doing it all again.