[4ceratops]

The castor bass is NICE. What surprised me is that the bass is not tubby or bloated. It's well defined and tight, but not as tight and punchy as E.G. the BAs I have. It's just good, musical bass. How they can make those and sell them for $16 shipped is a mystery.

I have to agree that Castor Bass has the bass sorted out, but those extremely drowned mids and irritating (and stripped away from the rest) highs make him just a genre performer for electronic music without vocals. Listening to anything acoustic, it's an ordeal. CCA Trio is much better, although the slight recession on the mids is still present. Even so, I think the Trio is at least 2 classes above the Castor and much more versatile (it will play any genre with honor).

 

[r31ya]

I have to agree that Castor Bass has the bass sorted out, but those extremely drowned mids and irritating (and stripped away from the rest) highs make him just a genre performer for electronic music without vocals. Listening to anything acoustic, it's an ordeal. CCA Trio is much better, although the slight recession on the mids is still present. Even so, I think the Trio is at least 2 classes above the Castor and much more versatile (it will play any genre with honor).

yup,
The bass overpower mids and other freq, something that Trio fixed with a much cleaner bass.
I gave away my Castor Bass after i got my trio.

the person got my Castor Bass really liking it tough. it was his first proper iem (after a lot cheapo earbuds or iem).
he liked it enough, he now have tidal subscription

 

[Carpet]

I'm considering just saving a bit longer and getting the iBasso DC03PRO or the Moondrop Dawn Pro.

I hate to wait much longer but I'm starting to feel it might be worth it.

Summer sale at AliExpress is not far off. Bound to be good deals on at least one of the 43131 DACs on sale. Do you want a play/pause button as well as volume?

 

[MightyBalzaq]

Do you want a play/pause button as well as volume?

Not really a necessity I don't guess.

 

[MightyBalzaq]

I have to agree that Castor Bass has the bass sorted out, but those extremely drowned mids and irritating (and stripped away from the rest) highs make him just a genre performer for electronic music without vocals. Listening to anything acoustic, it's an ordeal. CCA Trio is much better, although the slight recession on the mids is still present. Even so, I think the Trio is at least 2 classes above the Castor and much more versatile (it will play any genre with honor).

Well since, like I said, I wanted a strictly basshead set for the genres I listed in my original post and don't currently need another set that does pretty much every other genre since I have the PR2s I felt like the Castor Bass would be fine.

 

[Hung Tuan]

In Akros' XuanNV review, at the Trio comparison part, he said since his Trio review he changed from L to M tips and got a deeper fit. Apparently that did wonders to the mids and treble and he called the Trio "a beast".

I agree with him. Deeper insertion enhances the Trio quite a lot, in both details and treble extension. But I have to use 1100 setting.

 

[Okcerg]

I agree with him. Deeper insertion enhances the Trio quite a lot, in both details and treble extension. But I have to use 1100 setting.

What tips are that?

 

[Hung Tuan]

What tips are that?

this one, I bought SS but I think MS or M should be good.
https://www.amazon.com/AZLA-SednaEarfit-Crystal-Replacement-Eartips/dp/B08TWGQCHN

 

[SpaceOperaVillain]

CCA Castor Harmon version on its way. I think I might wait for this summer sale to see if some of the better new models are offered at a nice price. I logged a short and overdue review of the ZEX Pro.

https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/knowledge-zenith-kz-x-crinacle-crn-zex-pro.25580/review/33888/

 

[independent]

I'm considering just saving a bit longer and getting the iBasso DC03PRO or the Moondrop Dawn Pro.

I hate to wait much longer but I'm starting to feel it might be worth it.

If you're looking for a cheap decent dongle dac, try the F.Audio KS.01. I did just cos I'm a sucker for Sabre dacs and it's cheap (US$22-27) on special recently. Single ended, was itching to try the balanced 764 cable mod mentioned a few pages previously but the price of this 9038 dac was just too good. My Tempotec dongle DAC has sharted the bed so my backup is gone.

It's great, got a little oled display and volume buttons. Woohoo. I'll give it a bit more of listen but sounds detailed and silent where it needs to be, so far so good. Something about the Sabre Dacs and all BA IEMs. This one has less elevated bass than my ibasso DC05, which is good with my plentiful-bass iems, and sounds nice

 

[MightyBalzaq]

If you're looking for a cheap decent dongle dac, try the F.Audio KS.01. I did just cos I'm a sucker for Sabre dacs and it's cheap (US$22-27) on special recently. Single ended, was itching to try the balanced 764 cable mod mentioned a few pages previously but the price of this 9038 dac was just too good. My Tempotec dongle DAC has sharted the bed so my backup is gone.

It's great, got a little oled display and volume buttons. Woohoo. I'll give it a bit more of listen but sounds detailed and silent where it needs to be, so far so good. Something about the Sabre Dacs and all BA IEMs. This one has less elevated bass than my ibasso DC05, which is good with my plentiful-bass iems, and sounds nice

I'll check it out.

Thanks.