The Radius DDM/HP-TWF11R

[rallynut]

dear reader,most people who have gone thru the threads/posts on the Audio Technica ATH-M50 would know just how smitten i am by these closed cans.everything about them are nothing short of stellar value for ur buck.excellent detail/resolution/imaging/bass/sub bass/mids,everything.makes u understand the ethos of good monitor sound.im sold on good cans,yessir.recently esanthosh,calles me up one day and says just,.."research the Radius DDM."

having been lurking in the shadows of head-fi and all sites pertaining to the portable world of audio for a while now,i knew that a parallel universe of sorts existed besides our purist,2ch component audio,HFV life.esanthosh has a huge collection of iems/dap's/etc,is a self-confessed head gear geek,and hence i thought why not?thus the research began,and...


...presenting the RADIUS DDM W-PRO,or the HP-TWF11R :clapping:!!

Radius HP-TWF11R Pro In-Ear DDM Headphones (Red)

imagine my wonder,never having heard of this small company from japan and the technology being implemented here.supposedly the worlds first dual driver dynamic IEM,giving the established players ala the sennheiser IE8/ortofon eq7/monster turbine pro,a real run for their money.in what way??aaah,..

first,the bad bits:the shape,design,colour scheme,cable microphonics,so called fit issues are daunting.

second,the good bits:if music was EVER meant to be heard a certain way,then experience it through the DDM's,u must.period.

funny??!i kid u not.

2 weeks later ,i find myself putting them on after getting round the mentioned niggles,and realise,that wasnt too bad at all!!check.then,connect to my nuforce udac,press play on foobar.the moment the first track is played u realise something is amiss.my brain is telling me this song im very familiar with doesnt/didnt sound like this :sad:??!!!now,a perception of that sort starts the whole nitpicking and fault finding we are all so good at.the checklist continues,...

BASS-hmm,adequate for sure.few furrowed brows later,strike that,...make it very wholebodied,fullsome,accurate and extends very low.check

MIDS-for sure their forte.so real,lush,visceral.goose bump inducing at times.check

TREBLE-doesnt seem to have the usual energy associated with higher frequencies.on concentrating again,strike that,..make it extremely well detailed,crisp.minus the energy.

and all this,with TEXTURE(ive never experience this before!!),in spades too!!!eek!!!

i for sure,am still not too convinced as my brain keeps doing that,.."hey!wait a minute!!!" a little too often,so umpteen tracks follow suit to recheck.here's the interesting bit,the sonics seem to vary from one recording to another,a little difficult to comprehend initially but in each and every track,the way it is presented is,...mindblowing.a live recording sounds just that,extremely LIVE!!u can literally feel/see the size of the venue,the spacing/depth between musicians.a studio recording,well contained.its almost like music is presented as it was intended to sound,at least different than what we're used to.big/small/energetic/laidback/anywhichway.the sonics swing.this exercise goes on and i realise 3 hrs have passed since i switched them on.oops,its 3am in the morning!!!i am in total awe.beautiful,a revelation,one of those WOW!! moments.

the Radius DDM's have a unique sound signature no doubt,little hard to get around sometimes.on listening though,u realise the sense of space/depth is so visceral/tactile and that because the dual drivers tend to present the music in layers,in 3D if u will.u can listen to a track,break it up into its various components(main vocals/background/lead guitar/rhythm/bass/drums/misc instruments),be able to focus on all of them separately marvelling at how natural they all sound,and then snap back into reality and realise,.."wow,now this is a treat.all these minute aspects to tone and yet the cohesive finality is mesmerising!a true mash of jelloed components,and how fiendishly yummy!!!"

on how it presents the music??...balance,TEXTURE,and naturalness,gobs of it.voices,strings,piano,cymbals,even the way the kick drum sounds,u can literally feel the energy expounded into them.heh,i remember thinking one could use the DDMS's to differentiate in tone different makers of musical instruments."ah,..thats a yamaha.oh this,..for sure a steinway."!!!it presents everything just right to me,and all this from an 150$ IEM!!!!

50+ hrs later,i have thrown every genre at them and the result is the same.does absolutely anything,everything,and tremendously well at that.for speed??the M50's are my benchmark for psy trance.then again,with these,..my word.the sub-bass,layering,detail,OMG.

calling audiodelic,u listening?iaudio,this one needs ur "golden-eared" comments!!

tracks/bands one must listen to on these to truly get an idea of what i mean:

1.stan getz-the girl from ipanema-his voice,background vocals,sax/trumpet line.
2.pink floyd-speak to me(dark side of the moon)-the sub bass,one part where the effect originates in one ear,bores thu ur brain dead-centre to end in the opposite ear.
3.nine inch nails-closer
4.hardcore psy trance-darjeeling express-clear skies
5.porcupine tree-trains
6.opeth-any of their melodies
7.hindi-yes,bollywood(old/new).makes it so enjoyable,its not funny!!!
8.indian classical
9.western classical
10.rock
11.diana krall-peel me a grape,girl in the other room
12.barry white-OMG!!!another one of them moments,..its not in any way funny!!
13.put ur fav track/band here and enjoy!!

obviously in addition,many more reference tracks,the usual chesky/marantz test disc tracks,and all of them stunning in presentation.what im stoked about is that finally,..RUSH sounds like they should.my all time favourite band,and their sound is finally being done justice to.amen.

obviously,this IEM is not in the analytic camp,but musical???for sure,in bucketloads!!!!!it even tends to spare the source a wee bit,i remember listening to a lot of 128kbps files and still remarking to myself as to how good it sounded.started the dissection,looking for faults and such,but just gave up!!!

http://img840.imageshack.us/img840/5782/radiusddm.jpg

now my words may be construed as ramblings for sure by many,but i can say this,my participation in that audio yatra of sorts was specifically to ascertain how different sonics from high end setups would/could be.armed with that education,categorically...the sound i hear from the RADIUS DDM's is for sure up there amongst the absolute best.sonics wise!!

the other arguments will continue,IEM vs yada-yada,etc,etc,whatever it be.please,no comparos here as to differences in implementation/thought process,etc.thats obvious but just talk about sonics.imagine listening to what ur dream system would sound like?mine should someday sound like this,no compromises,foot tapping perfect .

most people would say that the best reproduction of sound is when it makes u feel like u belong at that event.the DDM's make u feel like,..YOU are the event,..and the band is playing just for you.if you listen to a song somewhere,all ur thinking is,..i wonder how it'll sound on the DDM's???so,a repeat performance thru them!!im still getting to grips with how it manages to do that.

folks,all i can say is i think i have found my 'perfect' IEM,sound wise.truly balanced,immaculately detailed and a pure slice of sonic heaven.its a true top-tier product for sure and to think that the sonic competition is the likes of the sennheiser IE8,ortofon EQ7,monster turbine pro,etc,and that too they are in the 300$-500$ range!!!all of them giants in the IEM world.you think im going bonkers,stark raving mad???read on....


[Review] Dual dynamic driver: Radius HP-TWF11R inner earphone - pleasure pleasure little treasure - Head-Fi.org Community

Radius "DDM" : Out of the box impressions

(REVIEW) Radius DDM HP-TWF11 – Retro on the go! Go! Go! - Head-Fi.org Community

http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread...eelectronics-m11-and-hippo-shroom-added-09-01

i just realised,since they came into my life,i sleep just so that i can get up and get back to some more 'aur'gasms !!!KUDOS,the team at RADIUS seem to have done a stellar job on this one.cheers

P.S.this is not in any way a review,just some thoughts i had about them,so YMMV!!!

 

[audiodelic]

Nice review ..... Interesting maybe i need a pair of portable iem's

 

[esanthosh]

@rallynut,

That's a very interesting review and perspective since I don't listen to some of the music you do

DDMs are indeed addictive. Ever since I got them, I have not used any other IEM.

With treble, I'm already corrupted by the well extended RE0. So, I do find the DDM a bit lacking in that department. But it's one fine musical IEM. It makes some of the music I don't generally find interesting, "interesting".

A south Indian Head-fi meet is approaching fast, I guess

 

[sivakuru]

Guys,

How does this compare with the RE1?. Any one had a chance to compare?.

 

[iaudio]

Doc, going all out head fi! And you didnt even mention it any of these days?

Edit: Doc, loved the way you have put it down in words, the whole emotion, just like your soul mate DDMs.

Santhosh, looks like December is gonna see some south indian Head fi action!

 

[esanthosh]

@sivakuru,

Except for Brendon, clieOS & a few others, I don't think that many people have used RE1 properly amped. So hard to get comparisons.

But since you already have uDAC, RE1's amping requirement has been taken care of. Better to ask for this comparison in Head-fi (since not many here have both RE1 and DDM).

@iaudio,

Head-fi meet it will be. What started out as a 50:50 HFV:Head-fi meet may become 20:80 in all likelihood by that time

If all goes well, a few more surprises could be in store

 

[rallynut]

@esanthosh,u know just how much u are to blame for this .by god,a sweet piece of marvelous tech providing such a heavenly insight into music!!!well,at least the cx400's can retire :lol:.yessir,a meet is ordained...

as for reference,i dunno.esanthosh could give u a better answer.suffice it to say,im using my M50's and my 2ch setup as a reference to my ears.truly divine this,so far.its indeed strange just how good stuff is out there for very little money,comparatively .

oh,and a recap of how i believe the RADIUS DDM/HP-TWF11R is?incredibly balanced,gobs of just right detail(cant explain that one),silky mids,smooth treble.the very texture of...strings,the piano,the saxophone,trumpets,xylophone,bongo's,on nearly EVERY instrument u hear is mindbowing.u feel at times u miss the treble energy as compared to other renditions elsewhere,the mind takes over,the fault picking starts...and u soon realise,again,.."thats just about right!!!".thats what it does very well.textural layering of perceivable sonics.very convincing indeed .cheers

 

[rallynut]

seem to be havin absolutely no problems with the fit/seal,the largest size of my cx400 tips doing the duty.comfortable enough to be able to forget them burrowing a hole in ur head,lol.not exactly an isolating IEM,but relatively quiet.thankfully,u can get lost in the music and thereby just ignore ambient noise hyeah:.as for cable microphonics,not as intrusive as i thought.listening to diana krall-black crow as i write.bellissima!!!

 

[gobble]

A south Indian Head-fi meet is approaching fast, I guess

It will .. I imagine - go something like this :

Rallynut (headphones on full volume): "THESE HEADPHONES SURE ARE GREAT !! AREN'T THEY?!!" <snap> <snap> <tap> <tap>

esanthosh (headphones on full volume): "I CAN'T HEAR YOU!! ARE YOU REALLY SAYING SOMETHING OR LIP-SYNCING?" <snap> <snap> <tap> <tap>

Gobble (no headphones) : "Can you guys stop shouting and lower your voices? I can hear you very well at 1/10th the volume, besides everyone around is either staring at us or or glaring at us ..." hyeah:

And so the meet ends with everybody yelling at each other, but nobody actually listening to each other ... hyeah:

More seriously, I must consider these headphones as I have pondering about how to do A/B comparison to understand how much my preamp and room is colouring the SQ. (cant escape the headphone out op-amp in the CDP or Amp though )

@Amarbir, any plans to stock these at FMV? :licklips:

Cheers

 

[iaudio]

Gobble, left me out?
But as you said a good pair of neutral sounding headphones are a great way to find out how your sound is being affected by the characteristics of your set up.

 

[esanthosh]

More seriously, I must consider these headphones as I have pondering about how to do A/B comparison to understand how much my preamp and room is colouring the SQ. (cant escape the headphone out op-amp in the CDP or Amp though )

@Amarbir, any plans to stock these at FMV? :licklips:

Cheers

Actually, these are what I consider "musical / fun" IEM where you get lost in music and don't care about the issues it has (Isolation, Microphonics, treble energy). I bought a "minimalist" version - just the IEM - from Musica Acoustics, Japan for $110. The retail version comes with a case and 3 pairs of tips. I did not think it was worth paying $45 extra

@iaudio,

You were left out of gobble's scenario because you would be sitting in a corner with your laptop and taking notes seriously about how the headphones sound

 

[rallynut]

@gobble,u need a pair of neutral/analytical IEM's to perceive colouration of any sort IMHO.the Radius DDM are in the musical camp,and how so !!!

@all,spent another late night captivated in with the Radius DDM.cant believe i was listening to music for 5 hrs straight :indifferent14:.LOL

few more tracks.i suddenly have a new found respect for the brilliance of recording engineers.the imaging and resolution with these babies are spectacular!!

1.rush-mystic rhythms,xanadu,yyz
2.michael jackson 25th anniv-wanna be starting something,thriller
3.dixie chicks-cowboy take me away
4.dire straits-private investigations

dammit .too many tracks to list.i suppose this shows musicality at its best.cheers

 

[gobble]

Gobble, left me out?
But as you said a good pair of neutral sounding headphones are a great way to find out how your sound is being affected by the characteristics of your set up.

Oh you arrived late at 2am after a long drive from Kochi ... and there was nobody around as the meet was over long back ... hyeah:


@Rallynut, logically yes a neutral set of HP should be bought - but hey that audiophile comparison will only last an hour then I will have to live with it for another few years. Better to get VFM (Value for Musicality) than spend $$$ for a one hour comparison. The difference will still tell me if my system lacks musicality which is what I care about most

Cheers

 

[rallynut]

@gobble,in that case,definitely the one to go for .easily driveable with a 24ohm impedance,not too sensitive at 105db,and a flat freq curve.some falloff at around 10khz upwards,probably accounts for the lack of energy in the higher freqs.but musically B.E.A.U.T.I.F.U.L,and incredibly so once ur brain starts warming to that particular sort of signature.cheers

 

[esanthosh]

^ Seems like you are enjoying this IEM too much :annoyed:. From what I've read so far, I don't think you will even "upgrade" to "better" IEMs. That's too bad

So, just to balance out,

• There are IEMs which do treble better than this one.
• I usually walk a lot when using IEMs, so I can see how microphonics can be a huge problem. With most other IEMs, I try to wear them over the ear to counter that. Because of it's design, DDM may not be too conducive for wearing over the ear. I am using Phonak's Silicone Ear guides with this, so I face no issues. Otherwise, it could be one issue to consider.
• Some people in Head-fi have complained about the fit. Neither me nor rallynut have an issue with it. For me, it's one of the better IEMs in terms of fit. But, YMMV.
• These are not made for outdoor listening, period. I am lucky to be using them in quiet environment most of the time. If this is important to you, take this factor into consideration.
• The sound stage is not constant - expands or collapses according to the recording. Good recordings have a wide sound stage.
• This may not be THE best in terms of components (sound stage etc.,), but scores in sum of parts. If you are finicky about certain things, do read the threads and reviews in Head-fi completely before buying.
• Most IEMs have a L in Left ear, R in Right ear and Center. The more I listen to DDM, I feel that it has a stage where L, C, R are present while the Left ear is used for Extreme left and Right ear for Extreme right. If you are coming from other IEMs, this could take a little bit to get used to. Again this is song specific.
• It's signature requires some time to get used to (not for me personally, but YMMV). Instead of separating each instrument and shredding notes into bits for your analysis, DDM just produces a layered blend i.e., music. Normally, the IEMs which are called "musical" have warm mids, a bit of bass and smooth treble. But here, the term "musical" is meant for something different and unique. So, be aware of that difference.

PS: If you cannot hear the same way as I do (no matter how hard you try), just use your imagination

 

[rallynut]

as a disclaimer of sorts,impressions presented till now are subjective in actuality,and being so...YMMV.i realise,i havent listened to many top tier IEM's to compare,but these babies are sure incomparable .still,dont forget my statement reg the M50 as a reference of sorts,..puts things in perspective eh??

with more listening i realised how it probably does its magic.a driver for the bass and mids,crossed over with a driver for the uppermids/treble.prob why the "layering" is apparent.also,esantosh's comment regarding the soundstage is plausible.a semicircular LEFT/CENTRE/RIGHT is felt,with a distinct extreme left/right.weird,beautifully so."easily" driveable for sure by a dap,but loves that little amplification.the character just,..sharpens up!!also,musicaacoustics,is a great establishment to deal with.very transparent,hassle free transaction,quick delivery~3 days to get to india.thanks dimitri!!

btw,also found the perfect way to ease them into the ear canal.a method akin to 'shoe-horning' them in.by far the easiest way,definitely the least traumatic/eyebrow raising !!!as esanthosh remarked to me after reading my post,"anyone who has listened to the DDM will agree..".oh,how i wish there were more Radius DDM owners to compare notes with!!!cheers

 

[rallynut]

the past few days of travel have been helpful in testing the issues that the Radius DDM seems to have regarding fit,noise isolation,microphonics.i have been traveling in trains,cars,buses for the past 3 days and at no time were they obtrusive to me.i seem to have found the perfect fit with the cx400 eartips(size L) as on one occasion,i even slept through the night listening to music on them hyeah:!!

1.noise isolation-nothing to speak of here.with them in,most noise can be plainly heard,albeit a little veiled.ambient noise this way is not distracting at all,so this aspect should not deter one in making these a purchase.

2.cable microphonics-honestly,was dreading this.found out that on usage though,it wasnt a problem at all.its far less than what im used to with my sennheiser cx400's,so am very relieved indeed.unfortunately,the cable is so memory prone that its very easy to get it all in a tangled mess.

3.as the shape is a little different,the way it it fits in the ear canal is trifle disconcerting.with my 'shoe-horning' method,i seem to have found the easiest way to get a good seal,and with the least fuss.once settled,they do make their presence felt due to the way it sits in the ear canal and their weight,but not once did i feel them to be uncomfortable.

looking back at my experience so far with the Radius DDM/HP-TWF11r,it has been a revelation to me.my first foray into a very 'different' sounding IEM and,i love just how light they feel with a good fit,for how they can do both background and foregound listening depending on volume,how obtrusive ambient noise can be shut out in its entireity with music playing through them,just how good they tend to sound with a little amplification,and most importantly,....just how beautiful they make music seem to me.

for all those who may wonder as to the aesthetics and 'bling'ness of it all,i was pleasantly surprised as to how little attention they attract from the general public.this inspite of being the colour,shape and size it is.my word,i dont find too many faults with these things at all !?!!a biased opinion now,for sure .cheers

 

[gobble]

Thanks Rallynut

What is the source with your IEMs? Also do you use a headphone amp?

Cheers

Edit: oops! your signature is screaming at me ... but what did you use when you were travelling?

 

[iaudio]

I am sure it must have been his iPod Nano with the Fiio E1.

 

[rallynut]

@iaudio,u got that right !!!

@gobble,at home i drive the DDM's out of the headamp on the nuforce udac.the ipod nano(3g,8gb) and the fiio E1 do travel duty.i do think this is a truly good portable setup provided one uses good quality mp3/alac files,but being bound to itunes has me looking for a different source .

for someone who is in the apple camp this a very good musical combination indeed,a setup that can truly have u feeling sorry for passers-by who have no goddamn clue as to.."why is he smiling so much with them M&M's stuck in his ears !?"

sort of sums up my everyday with the Radius DDM.lol.cheers