CanJam Singapore 2023 Impressions: Part 1

Audio: Listen to this article.

CanJam Singapore 2023 Impressions: Part 1
By Sajid Amit

I have always admired Singapore. I admire it for how quickly it rose from rather humble origins and became one of the wealthiest countries globally; for how effectively it manages traffic; its ardent cleanliness; shopping; a diverse yet delectable cuisine; the greenery punctuating the cityscape, all the while being relentlessly modern and developed. I have also admired Singaporeans for their passion for the audio hobby as well as increasingly cutting-edge innovations in the realm of in-ear monitors (IEMs). 

Therefore, I was very excited to attend CanJam Singapore 2023. CanJam is the world’s premier portable audio show with annual events in New York City, Singapore, Los Angeles, London, Chicago, and Dallas, and is produced by Head-Fi.org. 

On this CanJam, I was excited to try several new releases from Singaporean brands like Subtonic Audio, Nighjar Acoustics, Symphonium Audio and Dita Audio, as well as much-loved American brands such as Fir Audio, 64 Audio and Empire Ears. I was also excited to try Japanese products which are sometimes difficult to audition outside of Asia, namely, Mass-Kobo, Brise Audio, and this little-known Japanese brand called Acoustune. 

Naturally, therefore, upon landing, clearing immigration, and checking into my hotel, I promptly called a Grab (Singaporean ride hailing startup), and made my way to Jaben, an audio store of some repute that has branches in Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur as well.

At Jaben, I was pleasantly surprised to be greeted by a follower of my YouTube Channel, and upon entering, to meet folks I have known from Head-Fi for ages. It always lovely to meet online friends in audio, in real life. After exchanging pleasantries and making plans, I spent some quiet time at Jaben to audition products I had an interest in purchasing. These included the SoftEars Turii Ti, Hiby RS8 Digital Audio Player (DAP), the Unique Melody Multiverse Mentor, and the Luxury & Precision P6 Pro DAP. 

Little did I know that I would also find at Jaben, the hottest new release in portable audio, the $5200 Subtonic Storm. In fact, there were 3 units of the Subtonic Storm at Jaben among the Head-Fiers gathered there. This was impressive because this IEM was so new at that time that only a handful were supposed to have reached their customers. I tried the Storm with the $7000 PW Audio Orpheus cable off my trusty Sony WM1ZM2 DAP as well as the Hiby RS8 DAP. 

Subtonic Storm with PW Audio Orpheus Cable

The Storm is an impressive IEM. It has resolution in spades, snappy transients and an immersive soundstage both in terms of depth and width. It was outstanding with audiophile genres such as jazz and classical but less so for rock and metal. Despite the BA bass, the Storm slams when powered right. However, it still did not match the best dynamic driver bass. I did perceive a relative lack of note weight and decay to the bass. Overall, though, this is easily one of the most impressive and technically proficient IEMs I have ever tried. And those seeking a reference-like tuning will be very impressed. 

I had long wanted to get my hands on and ears to the Luxury & Precision P6 Pro DAP. I was excited to find it at Jaben. The DAP is much smaller than I had imagined. However, the presentation was surprisingly natural in timbre. It was also more cohesive and natural sounding than most delta-sigma DAPs. It is colored in all the right ways. The soundstage did appear to be smaller than my Sony WM1ZM2. 

Luxury & Precision P6 Pro

The much-hyped Hiby RS8 sounded nice but did not add anything to what my Sony WM1ZM12 is capable of. Moreover, I found something slightly odd about the RS8 treble. It sounded a bit etched and distracting on some tracks. So I decided not to spend more time with it. I was certain I did not need to add it to my stable. Yes, it did have an airier treble than my Sony but nothing I could not fix using the Sony’s built-in (and rather masterful) EQ functionality.

Sony WM1ZM2, Hiby RS8 and Empire Ears Odin

The Softears Turii Ti IEM is quite popular among certain HeadFi circles. It is a high-end single dynamic driver IEM and IEMs of this configuration have their own cult following. However, the Turii Ti was not my jam. It was a bit too bright for genres I like, and I am certainly not faint of heart to treble. The Ti was formidable with jazz and acoustic. It is clearly a counterclockwise-tilted signature so those that are sensitive to treble need not apply. It is a nice-looking set, however. 

Softears Turii Ti

Meanwhile, the Unique Melody Multiverse Mentor is an impressive all-rounder of an IEM. It has large images, outstanding BA bass, and is very resolving. The IEM faceplates look a little cheap though and there is a chance one may bore of the rather safe tuning. But it is a really solid IEM and easily one of the best in the market among flagships. I do recommend it for those looking for an all-rounder.  

Unique Melody Multiverse Mentor

The day ended with great conversations at Pan Pacific where I was staying, which was also the venue of Canjam, with industry insiders who were already there. I went to bed excited and woke up even more so, rushing through breakfast to enter CanJam before it got too crowded. I also was going to be filming videos.  

CanJam Day 1

I started my first day at CanJam with the IEM that I was most keen on trying as it could have been a potential purchase for me, the Empire Ears Raven. 

Empire Ears Raven

I was looking forward to this one having owned and loved the Empire Ears Legend EVO and the Empire Ears Odin is one of my all-time favorite IEMs. And it did not disappoint! As Empire Ears boss Jack Vang pointed out, the Raven is more of an all-rounder than the EVO. It has less forward mids than the Odin, airier treble than the EVO, and a powerful and impactful bass. People expect a powerful and impactful bass from Empire Ears and they always deliver. That said, the Raven is certainly more of a genre-neutral IEM and will cater to a large group of audiophiles. 

Next, I tried the Cayin N7 DAP. I have tried Cayin’s flagship N8ii DAP extensively and also owned the older Cayin N6ii. The N7 marks a departure because it has a more “romantic” sound than either the N6ii or the N8ii, with slightly softer transients. The N8ii sounds airier and possibly a smidgen more detailed, while the N7 sounds richer and more midrange focused. I loved the Cayin N7 and given its price differential with the N8ii, recommend it strongly. The back cover also looks really cool.

Cayin N7

I tried the $1100 Symphonium Helios and I agree with other reviewers that they are incredible for the price. I have subsequently reviewed it here. Although a quad-BA IEM, the Helios has superb bass, better than most dynamic drivers, and a midrange that is clean without being septic, and a treble that is best-in-class for the price. Technically, the Helios is also great as it has resolution in spades, a soundstage that is wider than most IEMs, precise imaging, and wonderful macrodynamic slam and punch! The guys behind the Symphonium brand are also stellar and it was a lot of fun bantering with them. I am quite certain that their best is yet to come. 

Symphonium Helios

I tried some tube amps from Cayin and Feliks Audio. Cayin is a high-end Chinese brand that makes tube amplifiers for headphones as well as two-channel. Feliks is a Polish brand, which, until recently, focused on output transformerless (OTL) tube amps. I loved the new Euforia EVO for having a balance between tube warmth and a transparent presentation. It has a nimble bass which can slam when called for. The Cayin amps were no slouch with the 300B amp sounding more spacious and warmer. The HA-6A which leans more neutral. 

Feliks Euforia EVO

One of my highlights from Canjam Singapore was meeting Masuda-san of Mass-Kobo. Mass-Kobo is a highly respected manufacturer of high-end audio amplifiers in Japan, which is unfortunately not as well known outside of Asia. Their brand-new Mass-Kobo amp 465-000 is priced at around $17,000 and Masuda-san is expected to make only three to four units in 2023. 

I tried the Hifiman Susvara on this amplifier and it was sublime. It got the Susvara loud at only eleven ‘o clock on the volume dial, whilst maximizing its technical potential. The 465 also made the Susvara flow like a river, picking up nuances only the Susvara can, while offering impeccable stage depth. The retro aesthetics of this amp were also rather pleasing to the eye.

MASS-Kobo Model 465-000

Mass-Kobo has a transportable amp for IEMs called the 475 and it made my Empire Ears Odin sound better than it ever has, off my Sony WM1ZM2, with increased grunt in the bass and more top-end extension and resolution, whilst maintaining the Sony’s inherent warmth.

Mass-Kobo Amp 475

Between all the auditions, I sat down with Rob Watts and conducted an interview with the venerable engineer on upcoming products from Chord Electronics. I was excited to hear about the Chord Ultima DAC and the new mScaler for Dave! The Ultima DAC would be a significant upgrade to the Dave, according to Rob, and the Dave Scalar will have the same form factor as the Dave. For details, feel free to check out my interview with Rob, here. 

Rob Watts and Sajid Amit with the Chord Mojo 2

After speaking to Rob, I promptly picked up the legendary Chord Hugo 2. The staging, imaging, resolution and clarity of presentation on this device is hard to beat. I have long meant to buy it, so I couldn’t pass up the chance to get one.

Chord Hugo 2 and Empire Ears Odin

Also impressive is the new LetShuoer Cadenza. Priced at $2000, it does not disappoint for technical performance whilst retaining a warm of neutral tonality that will please many. It has stiff competition though at its price point. I find this LetShuoer to be rather impressive for their maturity in tuning across price ranges, and how much technical performance you get for the price. The Cadenza can trade blows with flagships from established manufacturers such as 64 Audio and Campfire Audio. 

LetShuoer Cadenza

I also got to spend time with the Malaysian boutique brand, Elysian Acoustics, which has taken the IEM word by storm. Their new Annihilator 2023 is as wonderful as the 2021 version which I used to own. However, the treble is smoother on the 2023 version, which brings out the bass a tad. Meanwhile, the shells look more shiny and more premium

Elysian Acoustics Annihilator 2023

I also really liked the Fir Audio Radon 6 for its lower levels of midbass spread compared to their previous releases. Somehow, it also made me appreciate the flagship Xenon 6 more, which sounded bloaty and muddy to me the first time I had heard it earlier this year. Interesting IEMs, both, in that they offer something different from the usual run-of-the-mill Harman-tuned fare. The Mandarin Symbio tips do help to mop up the excess midrange spread with Fir Audio IEMs. 

Fir Audio RN6 and XE6

Meanwhile, the newly released Sennheiser HD660S 2 was not my jam. It was not anything interesting in so far as its tuning goes and did not offer a noticeable technical performance upgrade to the HD650 and HD600, if at all. However, it is still a collector’s item for Sennheiser 6X0 series fans so there is that. And it does not sound half bad if you don’t compare it to an HD650 or HD600.

Sennheiser HD 660S2 and HD650

The Spirit Torino Valkyria is an interesting headphone with nice tonal density, very impactful bass and a nice midrange timbre. Pianos sounded marvelous on it but it was not competitive at $12,000, given the Susvara and the Abyss 1266 can be had for $6000 or less. 

Spirit Torino Valkyria

The Final D8000 Pro SE, on the other hand, really impressed despite its price and I would argue that it could rival an Abyss 1266 Phi TC or a Hifiman Susvara for overall tonal and technical performance. While both the Susvara and the TC likely surpass the Final for attributes such as resolution; the latter has a solid tonality and is perhaps a better all-rounder. It has some impeccable bass, a natural midrange, and superb treble clarity and extension without being sharp or fatiguing. 

Final D8000 Pro SE

Last but not the least, I really liked the single dynamic driver Dita Perpetua and the Mjolnir from Lotoo. The Perpetua has some of the natural single DD timbre I tend to like.

The Perpetua was striking in how much resolving Dita could eke out of its single dynamic driver configuration. It had a wide stage, a bass shelf that impresses in its balance of oomph and control, and a treble that is present but never strident. It also sounded glorious on my Sony WM1ZM2 DAP and I knew I had to buy it.

Dita Perpetua with Noble Prestige Cable and Sony WM1ZM2 DAP

Thus ended my auditions on Day 1 at Canjam Singapore. Amazing vibes all around. After the show ended, my Head-Fi friends and I headed over to a lovely spot surrounded by small hills and tall trees for dinner Singapore-style. Pictures below of the famous Singapore Chilli crab. Almost as good as the Dita Perpetua!

So that is it for Part 1 of this report. Stay tuned for Part 2. 

About the Author:

Sajid Amit is an academic and practitioner in international development by day, and audiophile day and night. His YouTube channel is called the Amplify Audiophile Show and is available here. His HeadFi thread is here.