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SkySports · 12-29-2007

Hi there,
Thanks for the kind words about the Kanon earbuds.
After reading this thread, I think I should give everyone a little background info on these Kanon.

Mainly, why do they sound so good at this price? I will try to keep this as short as possible:

1. All DAPs have a different audio amplifier and a different impedence
2. All earbuds have a slightly different impedence and sensitivity
3. Some DAP amplifiers put out higher power or lower power than others
4. Higher output DAPs (like larger IPODs) sound better with high impedence low sensitivity buds
5. Lower output DAPs (like Teclast) sound better with high sensitivity low impedence buds
6. A properly impedence matched earbud will sound better than most other earbuds
7. IEMs will always sound better than standard open buds, because they isolate the sound

This means if you go out and buy the most expensive earbud in the world, it may sound great on one DAP, but maybe not so great and maybe even muddy on another DAP. Also the specs listed for earbuds are never an exact science when it comes to freq response, impedence, sensitivity, making it even more difficult to find the perfect match. Many claim to be 32ohm, when they are actually 60ohm or 21 ohm etc.
So how do you find the right earbud for the right DAP? The only way to do it is to test hundreds of them with your DAP until you find the perfect marriage. On to my primary mission while in China:
I attended trade fairs, visited the large Electronic Malls, and even shopped at the smaller electronic stores while I was in China. I don’t claim to be an audiophile, so I brought my good friend with me who is a musician. We came armed with a Meizu M6. I also brought a Teclast C280 along. We tried to sample every earbud in sight. Trade fairs are about the only place that you can openly sample all the earbuds you want this way. And you should really try as many as you can. I was very happy to see that there was an explosion of new earbud companies in Asia. IEMs are no longer a rarity here, but becoming the norm. This is good promising news all around.

We found this one company that had an earbud which sounded incredible on the IPOD, but not on smaller DAPs we had. Ah Ha! Different impedence! The Kanons sound perfect on Teclast, but a little muddy on higher power IPOD etc. After coming home, I then tested all the samples against earbuds I already had, Meizu stock earbuds, etc. The Kanon won hands down on the Teclast and Meizu. The Kanon even beat my expensive earbuds on the Teclast.

Anyway, my minimum requirements for finding good earbuds to stock in Futuredaps:

1.They must provide a near perfect impedence match with Teclast and Meizu.
2.They must be proper IEMs (in ear monitor)
3.They must be relatively cheap (under $10)
4.They must have at least 3 sizes of earpads – to seal off the ear canal properly

I am now using my MD-52 on my Teclast C280 full time. Some of you mentioned in the past that the C series really comes to life when you use a headphone amp. Well, I can honestly say, with the Kanon’s higher sensitivity, this is now completely unnecessary. I am listening to the C280 at volume level 11, and still getting beautiful frequency response. The lesson I have learned from this experience is, impedence matching must be taken into consideration when shopping for earbuds. I am now beginning to realize that none of the Teclast (Chinese or other branded) actually ever had the correct stock earbuds. But I must warn all of you: Not all the Kanon models are equal. Just because these 701,702, and MD52 match well with Teclast, does not mean all the other ones will. Most of the Kanon I tested only sounded good on IPOD, just like many of my other aftermarket buds.

But the bottom line is, for under $10 you won’t be disappointed with these if you own a small flash DAP.
I refused to post anything about them previously because frankly I don’t trust my own opinon, I needed confirmation from other people first. Basically Sellers are usually stupid people who only say things to take your money away. Since I have an online store, I wanted to hear some good feedback from real MP4users first, before saying a word.
I am definitely not an audiophile, and I know this. All I can tell you is: these sound much better than other earbuds I have tested on my small DAPs. Enjoy!

Skysports

12-29-2007	#6 (permalink)
SkySports Ah, it plays video! Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 153	Kanon Earbuds - new products Hi there, Thanks for the kind words about the Kanon earbuds. After reading this thread, I think I should give everyone a little background info on these Kanon. Mainly, why do they sound so good at this price? I will try to keep this as short as possible: 1. All DAPs have a different audio amplifier and a different impedence 2. All earbuds have a slightly different impedence and sensitivity 3. Some DAP amplifiers put out higher power or lower power than others 4. Higher output DAPs (like larger IPODs) sound better with high impedence low sensitivity buds 5. Lower output DAPs (like Teclast) sound better with high sensitivity low impedence buds 6. A properly impedence matched earbud will sound better than most other earbuds 7. IEMs will always sound better than standard open buds, because they isolate the sound This means if you go out and buy the most expensive earbud in the world, it may sound great on one DAP, but maybe not so great and maybe even muddy on another DAP. Also the specs listed for earbuds are never an exact science when it comes to freq response, impedence, sensitivity, making it even more difficult to find the perfect match. Many claim to be 32ohm, when they are actually 60ohm or 21 ohm etc. So how do you find the right earbud for the right DAP? The only way to do it is to test hundreds of them with your DAP until you find the perfect marriage. On to my primary mission while in China: I attended trade fairs, visited the large Electronic Malls, and even shopped at the smaller electronic stores while I was in China. I don’t claim to be an audiophile, so I brought my good friend with me who is a musician. We came armed with a Meizu M6. I also brought a Teclast C280 along. We tried to sample every earbud in sight. Trade fairs are about the only place that you can openly sample all the earbuds you want this way. And you should really try as many as you can. I was very happy to see that there was an explosion of new earbud companies in Asia. IEMs are no longer a rarity here, but becoming the norm. This is good promising news all around. We found this one company that had an earbud which sounded incredible on the IPOD, but not on smaller DAPs we had. Ah Ha! Different impedence! The Kanons sound perfect on Teclast, but a little muddy on higher power IPOD etc. After coming home, I then tested all the samples against earbuds I already had, Meizu stock earbuds, etc. The Kanon won hands down on the Teclast and Meizu. The Kanon even beat my expensive earbuds on the Teclast. Anyway, my minimum requirements for finding good earbuds to stock in Futuredaps: 1.They must provide a near perfect impedence match with Teclast and Meizu. 2.They must be proper IEMs (in ear monitor) 3.They must be relatively cheap (under $10) 4.They must have at least 3 sizes of earpads – to seal off the ear canal properly I am now using my MD-52 on my Teclast C280 full time. Some of you mentioned in the past that the C series really comes to life when you use a headphone amp. Well, I can honestly say, with the Kanon’s higher sensitivity, this is now completely unnecessary. I am listening to the C280 at volume level 11, and still getting beautiful frequency response. The lesson I have learned from this experience is, impedence matching must be taken into consideration when shopping for earbuds. I am now beginning to realize that none of the Teclast (Chinese or other branded) actually ever had the correct stock earbuds. But I must warn all of you: Not all the Kanon models are equal. Just because these 701,702, and MD52 match well with Teclast, does not mean all the other ones will. Most of the Kanon I tested only sounded good on IPOD, just like many of my other aftermarket buds. But the bottom line is, for under $10 you won’t be disappointed with these if you own a small flash DAP. I refused to post anything about them previously because frankly I don’t trust my own opinon, I needed confirmation from other people first. Basically Sellers are usually stupid people who only say things to take your money away. Since I have an online store, I wanted to hear some good feedback from real MP4users first, before saying a word. I am definitely not an audiophile, and I know this. All I can tell you is: these sound much better than other earbuds I have tested on my small DAPs. Enjoy! Skysports __________________ Real MP4User