Headphones

Hi guys,

Long time lurker, started my product research on Reddit years ago and I thought I'd finally contribute back. I've been using Pentaconn's Coreir brass tips for my Campfire Audio Andromeda 2020. I won't get technical in this piece because this is not an in-depth review but instead just a nerdy sharing. There are plenty of reviews like this one if you want to know more. https://www.spill.hk/headphones/Pentaconn-Coreir-Brass-review/

Having come from shitty, random silicone tips that don't confirm to the ear canal, I can say these tips are the exact opposite. The tips themselves are very sticky (they don't fall out of your ear easily), high quality pieces. You can tell that Pentaconn really engineered the hell out of these things.

This little innovation is quite unique, the brass core really takes the treble to the moon, though at the slight expense of bass. I'm a treble head, so I have no complaints. I've paired them with the legendarily sparkly Andromeda 2020s, and the results are quite staggering. I didn't imagine I could make these sparkle even more. Cymbals and guitar distortion sounds cleaner. Think hitting a metal trash can with a wooden stick vs with a metal stick (Slipknot goes brrrr). High frequencies really do cut through. Silicone tips make everything sound "softer" in terms of quality, not volume wise.

In my opinion, they fantastic for Metal, Classical, Jazz and Electronic, or any other genre with many layers. That being said, they don't do as well as regular tips for genres where bass is paramount to the entire vibe of the song such as Hip Hop/Rap, Dubstep or Dreampop. That's not to say they don't sound good, in fact they do-- just that the added treble takes away from the warm lows. The Pentaconn Coreir really makes the sound signature slightly clinical. I would imagine someone with a pair of notoriously muddy Shure SE846s who are unable to sell/return them might appreciate knowing that these may help with the annoying muddiness.

I've been using the Pentaconn Coreir for approx. 6 months now. I spend roughly 2-3 hours per day with them at the office. Alas, inorganic chemistry comes to haunt me years after I've left college. My beloved pair of $20 Pentaconn Coreirs have developed an unsightly patina! It doesn't seem to have affected the sound quality, but indeed they aren't a sight for sore eyes, in fact they are instead a sore sight for eyes.

See the green tinge? It is only present one piece, oddly.

The other piece weren't spared either, they have instead developed a dark, brownish layer instead.

It should be mentioned that the brass does not come into contact with the nozzle, so my beloved Andromedas were not affected.

The one thing that comes to mind as the potential culprit is exposure to water. I occasionally wash my eartips with water and soap to rid of the oils and wax buildup in the nozzle. It seems that this may have caused the patina to form. I store my earphones in a pouch with silica gel too, but I guess it wasn't enough to mitigate the moisture and I should've known better. Frankly, its a bit upsetting that this isn't something accounted for by the engineers considering the selling price is around US$40/box of two pairs at where I'm at. Hence, I've gone out bought another box!

A bit of advice for those who have these eartips, check if do they have patina forming. It can cause irritation in the inner ear which would cause discomfort. If you have to wash your eartips (or any electronics, use isopropyl alcohol!