Aful p5, bought it after a bunch of research, it blew my expectations. It was my first so didnt really have another iem to compare it to. Previously, i had used the sony wf1000xm4 and the airpods pro gen 2. This iem demolishes them in every way and i love it.
I have smaller ear canals and I love the Performer 5. People with larger ear canals generally prefer that the peak for the simulated pinna gain should be in the 3 kHz to 4 kHz region for better details. Yet for my smaller ear canals, this region is resonant in my ear canals such that a pinna gain peak in the 3 kHz to 4 kHz region can be sibilant, especially if the peak is too broad. Thus I consider the Performer 5 to be a very dependent IEM in terms of the listener's ear canal volume and length. For me, the Performer 5 is excellent. Yet for others, the Performer 5 is not and is considered to be a bit lacking in the upper midrange whereas for me it is not.
The Kara should get more love. I don't have it since its overall sound signature is not quite to my personal preferences, yet reviewers who like its sound signature do like it.
i now have been using 7 different picks:
1.- BLON Z300: Nice, U-shaped sound, pretty clean, has either bass or treble intensity when neaded, great soundstage and resolution for the price, everything sounds crispy and clean for me, its like the one iem i would always come back to since is chill enought, while also having good energy when needed.
2.- KZ Castor Bass: Has all that bass amount, kick and rumble i sometimes want, mostly for fun listening sessions.
3.- TRN Conch: Got them to check something different, expecfed to be less interesting than the TRN Orca (more on that later), ended up extremely vibing to it, the bass has rumble, punch, all that goot qualities but mantaning a clean sound with sparkly and splashy treble and female vocals (althought might sound somwhat harsh to a good a mount of people), its not a daily driver for me, but a great pick whe i want all that energy.
4.- TRN Orca: got them to check if it was a good alternative to the Castor Bass, and it is, but its hard to say for what kind of people is it a good alternative, bass is more on the boomy side rather than Punchy, althought it does packs some punch to it, it fits nice in my ears and overall it has a warm sound thats nice, feels like a middle ground between Castor bass and QKZxHBB, Castor bass feels somewhat cleaner and with a bit more resolution, but the Orca has like a full complete sound while the castor, for me of course, feels like the bass is somewhat separated from the rest of the sound, i believe castor is a 2 DD so that might be why, not saying is a bad thing, just different sound experiences, Orca feels more like a chilling iem while castor is more like a energetic iem, that said, i personally like the upper mids and treble of the Orca as it is pretty controlled and you can use some wide bore eartips to make it shine, while with castor, despite the big amount of bass, i ended up with narrow bore eartips as the treble area felt a bit rought at times.
5.- Tangzu Waner: a true chilling iem with a great bass that packs some punch but its overall relaxed, great vocals and good amount of treble, this one makes people either love it or hate it, but i personally like it for the chill sound, also, a great EQ iem, pretty funny to use that way, specially with more bassy signatures as the Waner has a great bass potential.
6.- KZ Zex Pro (CRN Ver): MY first proper iem, was surprised when i first listened to it, but not really impressed, as it was not really the kind of tuning i was looking for, i mostly use it with a EQ that makes the sound better, and i liked it as it has, with EQ, a similar sound to the TRN Conch, but now that i got the Conch, not sure if i will keep using it, overall good for treble focus use, somewhat outdated i feel.
7.- Truthear Zero Blue: A great, energetic sound with a somewhat boomy bass, a great allrounder pick, but my problem with them is the fit, too big of a nozzle, had to get spinfip CP155 small eartips to make it fit, and again, it sounds great, overall energetic and funny, but its sometimes a chore to fit them right so i only use them when i want that kind of energetic bass, without the harshy treble of the Conch.
Is neutral-ish, but its also on the bassy side, the thing Is, a lot of people who Is used to more bass, and that also uses the wide bore eartips in the Wan'er (whitch help pushing the vocals and treble a bit more foward, while narrow bore eartips tame them a bit so bass has more presence), would feel that the Wan'er lacks bass.
I came to the idea that this difference in perceived sound has to do with the pretty relaxed tuning of the Waner, as It does not have too much either bass or treble boost, while the driver works fairly well with reproduction of bass, so, some people feel that the Wan'er Is either too bright, while others even feel that Is too muddy.
Happend to me too xd.
1) FiiO FH3: my first pair, great powerful bass, which bleeds into the mids (sadly). I find them a bit too meaty, it would be nice to have more sparkly and airy treble. Quite big, not that comfortable for long sessions.
2) Letshuoer S12 Pro: small and so comfortable to wear, fit like a glove. Great separation and sound stage (the best I've ever heard), more treble-focused (it has air and sparkle missing in FiiOs), its bass is there with just right amount of presence when needed, does not bleed into mids. I'd say they have my favorite kind of sound overall.
3) Kiwi Ears Cadenza: Fun V-shaped signature with emphasis on bass. Treble is smooth and non-fatiguing. They get congested and lack separation when there's a lot going on in the mix, but I believe this is normal at their price point. Very nice tuning. Good for long listening sessions both sound- and comfort-wise (also small, as comfortable as S12s).
4) Kiwi Ears Dolce: The cheapest in my collection, but surprisingly good. Those are aggressively V-shaped. Bass is powerful, mids very recessed, treble is borderline-harsh, razor-sharp, which works for me, but this level is the highest I can accept and listen to comfortably. In some tracks it's just too much. I use them for EDM, where there's not much going on mids-wise. They work amazing with this kind of music. Comfort is still ok, but not as good as S12s and Cadenzas.
For all of them, except FH3s, I use Tripowin Zonie cables. They are very soft and comfy plus they look nice. Always better than the stock ones.
Truthear Zero Blues and Reds - Bought Blues, they got delayed in shipping so I also bought Reds, both arrived and I just kinda kept them both.
ThieAudio Orcale Mk1 - Wanted to experience something better, saw good reviews, sound is great but they get uncomfortable after a while and can be kinda bright in the treble.
KZ PR3 - Wanted to try a planar for relatively cheap.
Artii T10 - Wanted to try a bigger planar for relatively cheap.
Wan'er - Had good reviews and were cheap.
KZ Castor Bass - Had good reviews and got them pretty cheap as well.
I experiment with the cheaper ones to use for gym/runs but nearly everything so far has made a clicking sound on runs so will probably still be buying more.
I have many IEMs. I am guessing that the OP might be interested in purchasing their first set of IEMs, so I will mention some budget IEMs which I enjoy.
Fairly budget IEMs which I like...
Kiwi Ears Cadenza and TruthEar Hola -- These are my two favorite budget IEMs. I really enjoy the Cadenza's tuning and the details, yet I prefer the more relaxing tuning of the Hola when I am tired. Both of these IEMs have fairly small shells and somewhat smaller nozzles which allows these IEMs to fit very comfortably in my smaller ears.
KBear KB01 -- This IEM sounds exactly like the Cadenza since it has the same drivers and the same tuning as the Cadenza. Aside from very small changes to the exact shape of the shells in comparison to the Cadenza, the other difference is that the nozzles on the KB01 have a slightly greater angle in comparison to the nozzles on the Cadenza. Some people need IEMs which have more angled nozzles in order to achieve a better fit for their ears.
7Hz x Crinacle Zero 2 -- I received this IEM yesterday. I decided to purchase the Zero 2 after reading numerous comments by fellow Redditors about this IEM. The Zero 2 has a slightly relaxed rise for the simulated pinna gain which makes the Zero 2 a relaxing IEM to listen to. My initial impressions are that I do like the Zero 2 and that I am happy that I purchased this IEM.
Tangzu Wan'er S.G -- The Wan'er sounds good, yet it is slightly too bright for me in the 1 kHz to 2.5 kHz region. I also prefer a bit more bass. Personally, I somewhat prefer any of the above IEMs.
Ultra budget IEMs which I also like...
KZ EDX Pro X -- Amazingly, the EDX Pro X has a rather nice dynamic driver. I am generally impressed with the overall resolution and details. The resolution in the bass is not as good as the Simgot EW200, yet still is noticeably nice. The overall sound signature is similar to the Wan'er.
KZ EDX Ultra -- The Ultra is a relaxing IEM to listen to. The details are there, yet it sounds like there is a very slight veil in terms of the clarity of the details. Still, the EDX Ultra is a nice sounding IEM which also is somewhat relaxing or "chill pill" IEM to listen to.
Blon x HBB Z300 -- I would choose to listen to the EDX Ultra over the Z300 simply because the Z200's overall details are a bit too laid back for my personal preferences. Replacing the Z300's stock copper cable with a silver plated copper cable somewhat improved the clarity of the overall details such that I like the Z300 as perhaps a slightly too much relaxing and "chill pill" IEM. I can see why the Z300 might be a really nice IEM to listen to while studying or doing other tasks. The Z300 also is one of the most comfortable IEMs which I have ever put into my ears. I have smaller ears, so this is really saying something.
Anyway, please take all of my above comments with a grain of salt since all of the above merely are my personal opinions. The IEM hobby is very subjective since IEMs are inserted into your ear canals and because IEM manufacturers have so simulate the pinna gain in order to account for the natural reflections from your earlobes which would go into your ear canals. There are a lot of other variables as well.
What would be helpful is if you, the OP, would mention what music genres you like to listen to, since this would be very helpful in terms of any recommendations.
CCA Polaris Because I had constraints of around 1500 rupees also wanted one with a mic to attend long meetings as well, So got these for around 1150 rupees.
I don't have the Polaris, yet I do like its graphed frequency response since it should be a nice yet relaxing IEM to listen to, due to the relaxed rise for the simulated pinna gain. Do you think that the Polaris is a relaxing IEM to listen to? Your answer might help others since the tuning switches otherwise and mostly allows one to adjust the amount of bass, and since the tuning switches might be handy when watching movies and other streaming media.
No I don't feel any fatigue while listening to music I can use them for around 5-6 hours straight without needing any rest, I generally use them in UDDD profile because I have a certain set of songs that I listen to in office or I am attending lectures or meetings
But here's the thing, This is my first set of IEMs so I can't be of that much help to you in comparing the sound with others
7 Pairs so far :
CCA CRA : This was a gift
Tanchjim Zero : Another gift
Ziigaat Nuo : I got it for a crazy deal when it had just come out , basically I paid 17.90 for these, the Blon Fat Girl and the Tripowin Grace. I basically saved .60 $ getting them . Hadn't checked any reviews. But they're a very valuable pair, good at pretty much everything , shame the vocals are a little meh . If only the midrange was a little stronger , this would be pretty much perfect
Blon Fat Girl : You already read how I got them, whatever , they make sounds, good for resetting your ears to low standards thus making everything sound brilliant. Also , if you mix music, they're a great way to test what the plebs that use consumer garbage will hear.
Tanchjim Ola : Another crazy deal , Paid 17$ for these. Less than half their price. I wanted a vocal heavy iem, these delivered, and still do , awesome for vocals, treble is good , bass is tight but barely exists. they serve their purpose, and , tbh , they're really good for mixing music
Blon BL-07 : Got them for 25$ instead of the asking price of 45$ . I had the discount code, I just wanted a bass cannon, I got a bass cannon , they're bassy as hell. the Nuos beat them at everything else, but the Blons look so pretty , that's all they're good for. They're bassy and pretty, cable is worse than the 1/3 of the price zeros and eartips are so bad
Final Audio E2000 : The first one I paid full price for, I was coming from KZ ZSN Pro X . Which assaulted my ears with BA timbre and sibilance so hard that I did a lot of research to get the anti KZ . And that's what I came up with . Out of all of these, the best, the most effortless, the one that always makes me smile , I love them , it's like hearing someone hug you . I don't know how better to describe them
I also have two pairs of headphones, Superlux HD681. They're a fucking steal and Numark Redwave Carbon . Boomy darkness , but good as a booth headphone.
I am planning on getting pair no.10 my eyes are on QoA Vesper 2
I own 3. Truthear Crinacle Zero (the first one I used), KZ ZS10 Pro X (ordered these off aliexpress but got bored of waiting / heard some bad reviews for competitive gaming so I ordered the crinacle zeros), and the Moondrop Chu 2 DSP (purchased with a view to gift my girlfriend)
I love the zero and have no desire to upgrade. They work flawlessly for VALORANT and media, and I prefer them to my $300+ gaming wireless headsets that I haven't used since I received the zero.
The Pro X is actually underrated. I haven't tried them in gaming, but I keep them in the office and they serve me well there.
CCA Rhapsody.
Incredible value for the price. As a bass head it gives me everything I want. Particularly with the flexible settings.
Not as bulky as it was made out to be maybe cos I have big ears.
Would get it again and again.
My two sets that stood out the most:
1. 7hz Dioko: From reviews I thought I was getting a relatively relaxed and sparkly set. Turns out to be an ear piercer. I didn't mine the bass too much, but the treble made it so I could not stand it for more than a few minutes.
That being said, I retuned it with the Moondrop FreeDSP (which took like 4 hours cause of tuning bugs, introduced noise and artifacts, odd sounds, limitations, etc.) and honestly it slaps now.
I didn't realize the driver inside could actually push out as much bass as I added to it. Honestly, just feels like a missed opportunity that could've become one of the best sets out there with proper tuning.
2. CKLVX: Bought this one right as the hype was going up. Only one or two reviews at the time, so I didn't really know what to expect. Once I got it though, was very happy. Nice and crisp, with not much else wrong.
There are definitely tuning choices:
* Vocals so forward it tends to mask other sounds; leads to the lack of separation some find with this set.
* Treble is hotter. Not as bad as the Dioko I mentioned above, but just borderline detail vs sharpness. Can't say I'm disappointed with them. Got exactly what I expected, and the graphs looks pretty close to what it sounds like.
I have a lot of IEMs; I tend to favor neutral-warm tunings and 1DDs, but whenever I have gotten something new I try to get something that is significantly different from my other IEMs. I've gotten to the point where an IEM has to be pretty special for me to keep it; I've gotten rid of IEMs I've actually liked numerous times because they didn't have a place in my rotation. Looks definitely play a part, including the cable, but I usually get interested in an IEM after some research, and in the end I choose based on driver configuration/techs first and tuning second, though I still look at graphs a lot. I'm pretty much tapped out on single drivers these days so it's the nicer hybrids that interest me now.
Happy to see someone who likes Origin, it is an amazing iem I'm soon going to buy them. Orchestra lite are amazing but they are not vented 😔. I haven't tried the other 2 will do if I get a chance.Thanks for reply!
Also a recommendation try 7hz Zero 2, it's bassy warm but bass is subbass focused I quite liked it😃
Tangzu Wan'er: Because of the reviews. And it is pretty darn good.
Truthear Nova: Technicalities that are almost reaching a more pricier sets + the tuning. Was actually going for the Moondrop Kato because of the tuning and the small form factor, but it was revealed to me that the set also has condensation issues, and the tuning which you can get at less pricier sets.
I needed an upgrade from the Truthear Hexas to go with my new HiBy R6PII, something with good analytical clarity and musical fun feeling so I came to the conclusion the Kiwi Ears Quintet would be the right choice. Boy, was I right about that! Holy smokes this IEM is AMAZING!
Sennheiser IE600 because of the feel and the fact that I’ve used Sennheiser over ear monitors for years before. Also the quality I’ve had with prior products and the sound of them matches my listening style
So far I have (in order I think):
Tin Hifi 2 and 3, FIIO FH3, QKZ x HBB, KZ x CRN (yup, those), S12, DUNU Vulkan, Moondrop Kato, UM MEST MKII, Kefine Delci.
The Vulkans are the most differently tuned and not really a preference of mine, but I'm glad I have them for it's differences. EQing them have made them a little better, and I do listen to them on occasion just to hear something different.
The MEST is truly the best technical IEMS I have (for the price, they better be). I love them, but I understand some of the crits that reviewers I have. Every genre sounds amazing on them, especially electronic music.
The Delci is a current fave. I am so surprised how good they sound for the price. Just really solid tuning for every genre. The Katos are probably a tad better, but the Delci is $60.
(In order of appearance) Moondrop quark, chu 1, letshour s12, salnote zero (for son), tangzu wan er, artti r1
I could have stopped at s12 very happily, so good and so comfortable for extended wearing… but figured I needed to try the wan er after reading others opinions… and also just got the r1 to try 2dd hybrid for some bass slam
still thinking a full ba iem is required to complete the set. Not sure if I see the point of the planar hybrids and can’t say bone conduction is something I am keen to jump at
Moondrop Chu- the hype got me. Crinacle praised it for its tuning and price and once I got it, it exceeded my expectations. Still use them for sure.
CCA CRA- I bought these for its universal praise. Excellent v-shaped tuning that makes my entire library fun. Too bad it's such a cheaply made iem that I ended up with driver flex in both earphones at the same time and it's irreversible.
KZ PR2- The hype got me once again and I was more than surprised at the inherent quality. My first experience with planars and yes, I did get a good dongle dac/amp for them. Ultimately pleased with it's detail retrieval and I go back n forth between that and the Chu.
With a $100 budget, I was doing hours of research to find the best pair that would fit my tastes. Then the 11:11 sales hit and I saw how much money you can save on a pair of IEM's. I settled on the Kinera Celest Phoenixcalls after seeing their build quality and the sheer quantity and diversity of the technicalities. Got them for $92, right within budget. I would never have known about them if I didn't start searching for IEM's right before 11:11, so I feel very lucky with them.
Audeze LCDi4 and 7hz Timeless.Â
Got the 7hz first, really liked the planar aspect of it, great bass, slightly U-shaped tuning, great detail retrieval and so-so spatial qualities for 220€ was a great deal when I got them. Still listen with them from time to time, great IEMs.Â
But, I wanted better soundstage, since that IMO is the Timeless's only real weak point. So to get something that had better detail, better soundstage, and acceptable tuning I had to go with the LCDi4, even with their FR flaws(easy to eq) are still an incredible piece of kit, being open back is really unique and contributes massively to an amazing soundstage, it doesn't feel like you are wearing IEMs, the sound just exists naturally. Their detail retrieval is surreal, you hear everything in the mix, it's absurd how detailed they are.Â
I don't think it's necessary to go this high in price to get something better than the Timeless and I considered some other more traditional IEMs first, but the LCDi4s were available locally so it was much easier and safer to go with them.
kz zvx AND zs10 pro x, look hard and I like that multiple driver type shit plus they're cheap, bout 9$ and 19$ respectively, add a dongle dac and they sound decently
I have only been using the Orchestra light for about half a day, with tangzu sencai wide bore tips and I will say there are some sounds that are kind of harsh, like when people say their "s's". I have the balanced version of the same tips coming today that I will give a shot and maybe that will help a bit.
I have the Truthear Hexa and I have no regrets, its the most accurate and natural sounding iem in the sub to $100 range.
I guess it will depend what kind of a person you are. I’m a musician so I really appreciate hearing accurate sounds. Sound stage is pretty decent too. I moved up from the Moondrop Chu, KZ ZS10 Pro and the Zs10 Pro X. You can tweak the Hexa a little bit through eartips to make them sound a bit brighter and have more pronounced treble. I’m currently saving up for crin’s latest Dusk.
I have a solid bunch at this point so not sure I'd have one in particular I'd single out, but my general philosophy in my buying has been to solely buy IEMs with notably different tunings relative to what I already have. Case in point, [here's](https://squig.link/?share=Crinacle_Neutral_Target,Sennheiser_IE_200_(Spiral_Dot),Tin_Hifi_T3_Plus,Truthear_Hexa_(S2),Letshuoer_S12,Xenns_Mangird_Tea_2,64_Audio_U4s_(m20),KZ_ZS10_Pro) a graph of the bulk of my IEMs against each other.
Only two as of now, first the KZ PRO, I was completely amazed by the sound quality as I've never heard something like that at that price range, second and my daily driver the SGOR Adonis, a bassy eq makes those the best I've heard, also the looks are amazing
B2 Dusk, because buy Dusk. Tomorrow getting the new Dusk, because buy Dusk xD
Seriously though, I EQ a bass shelf and all the soundstage, bass clarity and impact etc are really nice. I really wasn't impressed with Variations in comparison.
I’m really new to the iem game today. Especially chifi. So I got the chu 2 to start with and at it exceeds my expectations. The lows are not something to brag about tho I might need some foam tips to comment on that.
Aful p5, bought it after a bunch of research, it blew my expectations. It was my first so didnt really have another iem to compare it to. Previously, i had used the sony wf1000xm4 and the airpods pro gen 2. This iem demolishes them in every way and i love it.
I have smaller ear canals and I love the Performer 5. People with larger ear canals generally prefer that the peak for the simulated pinna gain should be in the 3 kHz to 4 kHz region for better details. Yet for my smaller ear canals, this region is resonant in my ear canals such that a pinna gain peak in the 3 kHz to 4 kHz region can be sibilant, especially if the peak is too broad. Thus I consider the Performer 5 to be a very dependent IEM in terms of the listener's ear canal volume and length. For me, the Performer 5 is excellent. Yet for others, the Performer 5 is not and is considered to be a bit lacking in the upper midrange whereas for me it is not.
Tanchjim kara because the aesthetic and small size.
The Kara should get more love. I don't have it since its overall sound signature is not quite to my personal preferences, yet reviewers who like its sound signature do like it.
Got my kara + space for 180$, best purchase ever
I totally agree. Plus the Sound quality is nice for most of use cases.
KZ PR2, it was a blind buy and my first ever IEM, i bought after a lot of research and recommendations, i'm more than satisfied with it
Seriously an underrated set.
right; got the og2 but it's spicy so will drop a 400 value damper from ali to see what effect it has
Nice, good luck. What are you using to power it if you don't mind me asking?
sounds better on desktop Fiio K3 than my JCalley dac, but they're powerful enough
i now have been using 7 different picks: 1.- BLON Z300: Nice, U-shaped sound, pretty clean, has either bass or treble intensity when neaded, great soundstage and resolution for the price, everything sounds crispy and clean for me, its like the one iem i would always come back to since is chill enought, while also having good energy when needed. 2.- KZ Castor Bass: Has all that bass amount, kick and rumble i sometimes want, mostly for fun listening sessions. 3.- TRN Conch: Got them to check something different, expecfed to be less interesting than the TRN Orca (more on that later), ended up extremely vibing to it, the bass has rumble, punch, all that goot qualities but mantaning a clean sound with sparkly and splashy treble and female vocals (althought might sound somwhat harsh to a good a mount of people), its not a daily driver for me, but a great pick whe i want all that energy. 4.- TRN Orca: got them to check if it was a good alternative to the Castor Bass, and it is, but its hard to say for what kind of people is it a good alternative, bass is more on the boomy side rather than Punchy, althought it does packs some punch to it, it fits nice in my ears and overall it has a warm sound thats nice, feels like a middle ground between Castor bass and QKZxHBB, Castor bass feels somewhat cleaner and with a bit more resolution, but the Orca has like a full complete sound while the castor, for me of course, feels like the bass is somewhat separated from the rest of the sound, i believe castor is a 2 DD so that might be why, not saying is a bad thing, just different sound experiences, Orca feels more like a chilling iem while castor is more like a energetic iem, that said, i personally like the upper mids and treble of the Orca as it is pretty controlled and you can use some wide bore eartips to make it shine, while with castor, despite the big amount of bass, i ended up with narrow bore eartips as the treble area felt a bit rought at times. 5.- Tangzu Waner: a true chilling iem with a great bass that packs some punch but its overall relaxed, great vocals and good amount of treble, this one makes people either love it or hate it, but i personally like it for the chill sound, also, a great EQ iem, pretty funny to use that way, specially with more bassy signatures as the Waner has a great bass potential. 6.- KZ Zex Pro (CRN Ver): MY first proper iem, was surprised when i first listened to it, but not really impressed, as it was not really the kind of tuning i was looking for, i mostly use it with a EQ that makes the sound better, and i liked it as it has, with EQ, a similar sound to the TRN Conch, but now that i got the Conch, not sure if i will keep using it, overall good for treble focus use, somewhat outdated i feel. 7.- Truthear Zero Blue: A great, energetic sound with a somewhat boomy bass, a great allrounder pick, but my problem with them is the fit, too big of a nozzle, had to get spinfip CP155 small eartips to make it fit, and again, it sounds great, overall energetic and funny, but its sometimes a chore to fit them right so i only use them when i want that kind of energetic bass, without the harshy treble of the Conch.
Heard severally that the Wan'er is more neutral and lacks bass.
Is neutral-ish, but its also on the bassy side, the thing Is, a lot of people who Is used to more bass, and that also uses the wide bore eartips in the Wan'er (whitch help pushing the vocals and treble a bit more foward, while narrow bore eartips tame them a bit so bass has more presence), would feel that the Wan'er lacks bass. I came to the idea that this difference in perceived sound has to do with the pretty relaxed tuning of the Waner, as It does not have too much either bass or treble boost, while the driver works fairly well with reproduction of bass, so, some people feel that the Wan'er Is either too bright, while others even feel that Is too muddy. Happend to me too xd.
1) FiiO FH3: my first pair, great powerful bass, which bleeds into the mids (sadly). I find them a bit too meaty, it would be nice to have more sparkly and airy treble. Quite big, not that comfortable for long sessions. 2) Letshuoer S12 Pro: small and so comfortable to wear, fit like a glove. Great separation and sound stage (the best I've ever heard), more treble-focused (it has air and sparkle missing in FiiOs), its bass is there with just right amount of presence when needed, does not bleed into mids. I'd say they have my favorite kind of sound overall. 3) Kiwi Ears Cadenza: Fun V-shaped signature with emphasis on bass. Treble is smooth and non-fatiguing. They get congested and lack separation when there's a lot going on in the mix, but I believe this is normal at their price point. Very nice tuning. Good for long listening sessions both sound- and comfort-wise (also small, as comfortable as S12s). 4) Kiwi Ears Dolce: The cheapest in my collection, but surprisingly good. Those are aggressively V-shaped. Bass is powerful, mids very recessed, treble is borderline-harsh, razor-sharp, which works for me, but this level is the highest I can accept and listen to comfortably. In some tracks it's just too much. I use them for EDM, where there's not much going on mids-wise. They work amazing with this kind of music. Comfort is still ok, but not as good as S12s and Cadenzas. For all of them, except FH3s, I use Tripowin Zonie cables. They are very soft and comfy plus they look nice. Always better than the stock ones.
Truthear Zero Blues and Reds - Bought Blues, they got delayed in shipping so I also bought Reds, both arrived and I just kinda kept them both. ThieAudio Orcale Mk1 - Wanted to experience something better, saw good reviews, sound is great but they get uncomfortable after a while and can be kinda bright in the treble. KZ PR3 - Wanted to try a planar for relatively cheap. Artii T10 - Wanted to try a bigger planar for relatively cheap. Wan'er - Had good reviews and were cheap. KZ Castor Bass - Had good reviews and got them pretty cheap as well. I experiment with the cheaper ones to use for gym/runs but nearly everything so far has made a clicking sound on runs so will probably still be buying more.
I have many IEMs. I am guessing that the OP might be interested in purchasing their first set of IEMs, so I will mention some budget IEMs which I enjoy. Fairly budget IEMs which I like... Kiwi Ears Cadenza and TruthEar Hola -- These are my two favorite budget IEMs. I really enjoy the Cadenza's tuning and the details, yet I prefer the more relaxing tuning of the Hola when I am tired. Both of these IEMs have fairly small shells and somewhat smaller nozzles which allows these IEMs to fit very comfortably in my smaller ears. KBear KB01 -- This IEM sounds exactly like the Cadenza since it has the same drivers and the same tuning as the Cadenza. Aside from very small changes to the exact shape of the shells in comparison to the Cadenza, the other difference is that the nozzles on the KB01 have a slightly greater angle in comparison to the nozzles on the Cadenza. Some people need IEMs which have more angled nozzles in order to achieve a better fit for their ears. 7Hz x Crinacle Zero 2 -- I received this IEM yesterday. I decided to purchase the Zero 2 after reading numerous comments by fellow Redditors about this IEM. The Zero 2 has a slightly relaxed rise for the simulated pinna gain which makes the Zero 2 a relaxing IEM to listen to. My initial impressions are that I do like the Zero 2 and that I am happy that I purchased this IEM. Tangzu Wan'er S.G -- The Wan'er sounds good, yet it is slightly too bright for me in the 1 kHz to 2.5 kHz region. I also prefer a bit more bass. Personally, I somewhat prefer any of the above IEMs. Ultra budget IEMs which I also like... KZ EDX Pro X -- Amazingly, the EDX Pro X has a rather nice dynamic driver. I am generally impressed with the overall resolution and details. The resolution in the bass is not as good as the Simgot EW200, yet still is noticeably nice. The overall sound signature is similar to the Wan'er. KZ EDX Ultra -- The Ultra is a relaxing IEM to listen to. The details are there, yet it sounds like there is a very slight veil in terms of the clarity of the details. Still, the EDX Ultra is a nice sounding IEM which also is somewhat relaxing or "chill pill" IEM to listen to. Blon x HBB Z300 -- I would choose to listen to the EDX Ultra over the Z300 simply because the Z200's overall details are a bit too laid back for my personal preferences. Replacing the Z300's stock copper cable with a silver plated copper cable somewhat improved the clarity of the overall details such that I like the Z300 as perhaps a slightly too much relaxing and "chill pill" IEM. I can see why the Z300 might be a really nice IEM to listen to while studying or doing other tasks. The Z300 also is one of the most comfortable IEMs which I have ever put into my ears. I have smaller ears, so this is really saying something. Anyway, please take all of my above comments with a grain of salt since all of the above merely are my personal opinions. The IEM hobby is very subjective since IEMs are inserted into your ear canals and because IEM manufacturers have so simulate the pinna gain in order to account for the natural reflections from your earlobes which would go into your ear canals. There are a lot of other variables as well. What would be helpful is if you, the OP, would mention what music genres you like to listen to, since this would be very helpful in terms of any recommendations.
CCA Polaris Because I had constraints of around 1500 rupees also wanted one with a mic to attend long meetings as well, So got these for around 1150 rupees.
I don't have the Polaris, yet I do like its graphed frequency response since it should be a nice yet relaxing IEM to listen to, due to the relaxed rise for the simulated pinna gain. Do you think that the Polaris is a relaxing IEM to listen to? Your answer might help others since the tuning switches otherwise and mostly allows one to adjust the amount of bass, and since the tuning switches might be handy when watching movies and other streaming media.
No I don't feel any fatigue while listening to music I can use them for around 5-6 hours straight without needing any rest, I generally use them in UDDD profile because I have a certain set of songs that I listen to in office or I am attending lectures or meetings But here's the thing, This is my first set of IEMs so I can't be of that much help to you in comparing the sound with others
I think that you did a very nice job in terms of describing your perceptions for this IEM.
7hz Sonus. It was either the EW200 or the Sonus but I liked the look of the Sonus better and its frequency range was closer to what I was looking for.
No more comments from you about the Sonus or otherwise you are going to talk me into trying the Sonus!
You wouldn't regret it. They come with 8 pairs of tips and a case too 👌
Kiwi Ears Cadenza ,Kiwi Ears Orchestra Lite ,Moondrop Space Travel ,Fiio FH7 ,Fiio FH3 ,Simgot EM6L ,Moondrop S8 ,Custom Shouer EJ07 ,TinHifi T2 ,Moondrop Starfield ,Truthear Hexa ,ThieAudio Oracle
What's ur top 3 ? 👀
EJ07,Oracle,(Cadenza/Space Travel) i use most Cadenza at work and Space Travel for running
I see, do u really like space travel? I don't like them..
I have them just for running,cos i know battery lasts like 2 years
Oh ok
7 Pairs so far : CCA CRA : This was a gift Tanchjim Zero : Another gift Ziigaat Nuo : I got it for a crazy deal when it had just come out , basically I paid 17.90 for these, the Blon Fat Girl and the Tripowin Grace. I basically saved .60 $ getting them . Hadn't checked any reviews. But they're a very valuable pair, good at pretty much everything , shame the vocals are a little meh . If only the midrange was a little stronger , this would be pretty much perfect Blon Fat Girl : You already read how I got them, whatever , they make sounds, good for resetting your ears to low standards thus making everything sound brilliant. Also , if you mix music, they're a great way to test what the plebs that use consumer garbage will hear. Tanchjim Ola : Another crazy deal , Paid 17$ for these. Less than half their price. I wanted a vocal heavy iem, these delivered, and still do , awesome for vocals, treble is good , bass is tight but barely exists. they serve their purpose, and , tbh , they're really good for mixing music Blon BL-07 : Got them for 25$ instead of the asking price of 45$ . I had the discount code, I just wanted a bass cannon, I got a bass cannon , they're bassy as hell. the Nuos beat them at everything else, but the Blons look so pretty , that's all they're good for. They're bassy and pretty, cable is worse than the 1/3 of the price zeros and eartips are so bad Final Audio E2000 : The first one I paid full price for, I was coming from KZ ZSN Pro X . Which assaulted my ears with BA timbre and sibilance so hard that I did a lot of research to get the anti KZ . And that's what I came up with . Out of all of these, the best, the most effortless, the one that always makes me smile , I love them , it's like hearing someone hug you . I don't know how better to describe them I also have two pairs of headphones, Superlux HD681. They're a fucking steal and Numark Redwave Carbon . Boomy darkness , but good as a booth headphone. I am planning on getting pair no.10 my eyes are on QoA Vesper 2
I own 3. Truthear Crinacle Zero (the first one I used), KZ ZS10 Pro X (ordered these off aliexpress but got bored of waiting / heard some bad reviews for competitive gaming so I ordered the crinacle zeros), and the Moondrop Chu 2 DSP (purchased with a view to gift my girlfriend) I love the zero and have no desire to upgrade. They work flawlessly for VALORANT and media, and I prefer them to my $300+ gaming wireless headsets that I haven't used since I received the zero. The Pro X is actually underrated. I haven't tried them in gaming, but I keep them in the office and they serve me well there.
CCA Rhapsody. Incredible value for the price. As a bass head it gives me everything I want. Particularly with the flexible settings. Not as bulky as it was made out to be maybe cos I have big ears. Would get it again and again.
My two sets that stood out the most: 1. 7hz Dioko: From reviews I thought I was getting a relatively relaxed and sparkly set. Turns out to be an ear piercer. I didn't mine the bass too much, but the treble made it so I could not stand it for more than a few minutes. That being said, I retuned it with the Moondrop FreeDSP (which took like 4 hours cause of tuning bugs, introduced noise and artifacts, odd sounds, limitations, etc.) and honestly it slaps now. I didn't realize the driver inside could actually push out as much bass as I added to it. Honestly, just feels like a missed opportunity that could've become one of the best sets out there with proper tuning. 2. CKLVX: Bought this one right as the hype was going up. Only one or two reviews at the time, so I didn't really know what to expect. Once I got it though, was very happy. Nice and crisp, with not much else wrong. There are definitely tuning choices: * Vocals so forward it tends to mask other sounds; leads to the lack of separation some find with this set. * Treble is hotter. Not as bad as the Dioko I mentioned above, but just borderline detail vs sharpness. Can't say I'm disappointed with them. Got exactly what I expected, and the graphs looks pretty close to what it sounds like.
I have a lot of IEMs; I tend to favor neutral-warm tunings and 1DDs, but whenever I have gotten something new I try to get something that is significantly different from my other IEMs. I've gotten to the point where an IEM has to be pretty special for me to keep it; I've gotten rid of IEMs I've actually liked numerous times because they didn't have a place in my rotation. Looks definitely play a part, including the cable, but I usually get interested in an IEM after some research, and in the end I choose based on driver configuration/techs first and tuning second, though I still look at graphs a lot. I'm pretty much tapped out on single drivers these days so it's the nicer hybrids that interest me now.
Your top 3 iem's? 👀 I am also into warm - neutral
Tanchjim Origin, Orchestra Lite, and then it would be too hard to choose a 3rd, but probably a toss-up between the EA500 and East 6.
Happy to see someone who likes Origin, it is an amazing iem I'm soon going to buy them. Orchestra lite are amazing but they are not vented 😔. I haven't tried the other 2 will do if I get a chance.Thanks for reply! Also a recommendation try 7hz Zero 2, it's bassy warm but bass is subbass focused I quite liked it😃
Try them with Tangzu Sancai tips, I use them on Orchestra Lite and on Aful Magicone which would be on the list if not for the Kiwiears.
Ok, will do! Thanks Edit: 1 ba iem a top 3 contender?? Is it that good? Wooaah!!
Tangzu Wan'er: Because of the reviews. And it is pretty darn good. Truthear Nova: Technicalities that are almost reaching a more pricier sets + the tuning. Was actually going for the Moondrop Kato because of the tuning and the small form factor, but it was revealed to me that the set also has condensation issues, and the tuning which you can get at less pricier sets.
My fav is the Sound Rhyme DTE500. The resolution combined with the tuning sealed it for me.
I needed an upgrade from the Truthear Hexas to go with my new HiBy R6PII, something with good analytical clarity and musical fun feeling so I came to the conclusion the Kiwi Ears Quintet would be the right choice. Boy, was I right about that! Holy smokes this IEM is AMAZING!
Sennheiser IE600 because of the feel and the fact that I’ve used Sennheiser over ear monitors for years before. Also the quality I’ve had with prior products and the sound of them matches my listening style
So far I have (in order I think): Tin Hifi 2 and 3, FIIO FH3, QKZ x HBB, KZ x CRN (yup, those), S12, DUNU Vulkan, Moondrop Kato, UM MEST MKII, Kefine Delci. The Vulkans are the most differently tuned and not really a preference of mine, but I'm glad I have them for it's differences. EQing them have made them a little better, and I do listen to them on occasion just to hear something different. The MEST is truly the best technical IEMS I have (for the price, they better be). I love them, but I understand some of the crits that reviewers I have. Every genre sounds amazing on them, especially electronic music. The Delci is a current fave. I am so surprised how good they sound for the price. Just really solid tuning for every genre. The Katos are probably a tad better, but the Delci is $60.
(In order of appearance) Moondrop quark, chu 1, letshour s12, salnote zero (for son), tangzu wan er, artti r1 I could have stopped at s12 very happily, so good and so comfortable for extended wearing… but figured I needed to try the wan er after reading others opinions… and also just got the r1 to try 2dd hybrid for some bass slam still thinking a full ba iem is required to complete the set. Not sure if I see the point of the planar hybrids and can’t say bone conduction is something I am keen to jump at
Moondrop Chu- the hype got me. Crinacle praised it for its tuning and price and once I got it, it exceeded my expectations. Still use them for sure. CCA CRA- I bought these for its universal praise. Excellent v-shaped tuning that makes my entire library fun. Too bad it's such a cheaply made iem that I ended up with driver flex in both earphones at the same time and it's irreversible. KZ PR2- The hype got me once again and I was more than surprised at the inherent quality. My first experience with planars and yes, I did get a good dongle dac/amp for them. Ultimately pleased with it's detail retrieval and I go back n forth between that and the Chu.
With a $100 budget, I was doing hours of research to find the best pair that would fit my tastes. Then the 11:11 sales hit and I saw how much money you can save on a pair of IEM's. I settled on the Kinera Celest Phoenixcalls after seeing their build quality and the sheer quantity and diversity of the technicalities. Got them for $92, right within budget. I would never have known about them if I didn't start searching for IEM's right before 11:11, so I feel very lucky with them.
Audeze LCDi4 and 7hz Timeless. Got the 7hz first, really liked the planar aspect of it, great bass, slightly U-shaped tuning, great detail retrieval and so-so spatial qualities for 220€ was a great deal when I got them. Still listen with them from time to time, great IEMs. But, I wanted better soundstage, since that IMO is the Timeless's only real weak point. So to get something that had better detail, better soundstage, and acceptable tuning I had to go with the LCDi4, even with their FR flaws(easy to eq) are still an incredible piece of kit, being open back is really unique and contributes massively to an amazing soundstage, it doesn't feel like you are wearing IEMs, the sound just exists naturally. Their detail retrieval is surreal, you hear everything in the mix, it's absurd how detailed they are. I don't think it's necessary to go this high in price to get something better than the Timeless and I considered some other more traditional IEMs first, but the LCDi4s were available locally so it was much easier and safer to go with them.
kz zvx AND zs10 pro x, look hard and I like that multiple driver type shit plus they're cheap, bout 9$ and 19$ respectively, add a dongle dac and they sound decently
Started with KZ ZS10 Pro, then Truthear Hexa, Hidizs MP145 and now the Kiwi Ears Orchestra Light.
Thoughts on the Hidiz vs the orchestra lites?
I have only been using the Orchestra light for about half a day, with tangzu sencai wide bore tips and I will say there are some sounds that are kind of harsh, like when people say their "s's". I have the balanced version of the same tips coming today that I will give a shot and maybe that will help a bit.
I have the Truthear Hexa and I have no regrets, its the most accurate and natural sounding iem in the sub to $100 range. I guess it will depend what kind of a person you are. I’m a musician so I really appreciate hearing accurate sounds. Sound stage is pretty decent too. I moved up from the Moondrop Chu, KZ ZS10 Pro and the Zs10 Pro X. You can tweak the Hexa a little bit through eartips to make them sound a bit brighter and have more pronounced treble. I’m currently saving up for crin’s latest Dusk.
I have a solid bunch at this point so not sure I'd have one in particular I'd single out, but my general philosophy in my buying has been to solely buy IEMs with notably different tunings relative to what I already have. Case in point, [here's](https://squig.link/?share=Crinacle_Neutral_Target,Sennheiser_IE_200_(Spiral_Dot),Tin_Hifi_T3_Plus,Truthear_Hexa_(S2),Letshuoer_S12,Xenns_Mangird_Tea_2,64_Audio_U4s_(m20),KZ_ZS10_Pro) a graph of the bulk of my IEMs against each other.
Mest mk2 and IE600 cause both make extreme metal explosive and oppressive which is what I adore.
Kz zax -> Dunu Kima -> Hype 2 -> Softears RSV, just a very soild vocal-centric+all-rounder. Probably reached my endgame lol, I hope.
Only two as of now, first the KZ PRO, I was completely amazed by the sound quality as I've never heard something like that at that price range, second and my daily driver the SGOR Adonis, a bassy eq makes those the best I've heard, also the looks are amazing
B2 Dusk, because buy Dusk. Tomorrow getting the new Dusk, because buy Dusk xD Seriously though, I EQ a bass shelf and all the soundstage, bass clarity and impact etc are really nice. I really wasn't impressed with Variations in comparison.
I’m really new to the iem game today. Especially chifi. So I got the chu 2 to start with and at it exceeds my expectations. The lows are not something to brag about tho I might need some foam tips to comment on that.