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Is it worth upgrading iems? If it is not then which ones should i buy?

C

CarlToft

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Mar 22, 2020
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I currently have the blon bl03 with upgraded cable and spinfit eartips and the Urbanfun YBF-ISS014 with spinfit i think cp145.
I am considdering upgrading to the Magrid Tea's or Moondrop blessing 2 but i dont know if they are really worth spending $300 on when i have some iems that are way cheaper and has a lot of value. But alot better mids i think i read. I am also open for suggestions.

My music preferences i listen to mostly emo rap like Lil peep, xxxtentacion and juice wrld.
I like the Urbanfuns over the blon because i think the sound is much clearer.
My amp is mostly my oneplus 6 and sometimes my desktop with asus b350-f gaming MOBO.

If i need to add more just write to me so i can get the best help as possible.
 
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Looks like you are just starting the journey of determining the "BEST" IEM for you. Brillant, as this is probably the most fun you can have with only auditory stimulation IMHO. I believe that it is almost impossible for a 3rd party to recommend an upgrade IEM, but you will find that many will push the Etymotic line (I find they are just to uncomfortable, but as always this is an individual thing). Before looking at "Upgrading", I would recommend that you do a little research and find a reviewer/site that tends to agree with you taste.

Personally, I follow In-Ear Fidelity (https://crinacle.com/) and AudioBudget (https://audiobudget.com/). Between these two sites, you can the depth and breath of what is available for both ChiFi and StupidFi. That is, IEM's ranging from 10 to 1000's of dollars.

Have fun, as hopefully at is what it is all about.
 
CarlToft said:
I currently have the blon bl03 with upgraded cable and spinfit eartips and the Urbanfun YBF-ISS014 with spinfit i think cp145.
I am considdering upgrading to the Magrid Tea's but i dont know if they are really worth spending $300 on when i have some iems that are way cheaper and i heard it sounds like the Blon's with not as much bass. But alot better mids i think i read.

My music preferences i listen to mostly emo rap like Lil peep, xxxtentacion and juice wrld.
I like the Urbanfuns over the blon because i think the sound is much clearer.
My amp is mostly my oneplus 6 and sometimes my desktop with asus b350-f gaming MOBO.

If i need to add more just write to me so i can get the best help as possible.
Click to expand...

Agree with DC above. The best bang for buck IEM I have are the moondrop starfield. I like the Etymotic line but agree the fit isnt for everyone . Also, I'm guessing from your music tastes, bass is a priority? Im not sure either of those IEM are bass specialist- I prefer quite a balanced sound- maybe even bass shy.
 
DChenery said:
Looks like you are just starting the journey of determining the "BEST" IEM for you. Brillant, as this is probably the most fun you can have with only auditory stimulation IMHO. I believe that it is almost impossible for a 3rd party to recommend an upgrade IEM, but you will find that many will push the Etymotic line (I find they are just to uncomfortable, but as always this is an individual thing). Before looking at "Upgrading", I would recommend that you do a little research and find a reviewer/site that tends to agree with you taste.

Personally, I follow In-Ear Fidelity (https://crinacle.com/) and AudioBudget (https://audiobudget.com/). Between these two sites, you can the depth and breath of what is available for both ChiFi and StupidFi. That is, IEM's ranging from 10 to 1000's of dollars.

Have fun, as hopefully at is what it is all about.
Click to expand...
I have seen bad guy good reviews review on them and i cant remember what exactly he said but he rated them better than both.
 
Jimbob54 said:
Agree with DC above. The best bang for buck IEM I have are the moondrop starfield. I like the Etymotic line but agree the fit isnt for everyone . Also, I'm guessing from your music tastes, bass is a priority? Im not sure either of those IEM are bass specialist- I prefer quite a balanced sound- maybe even bass shy.
Click to expand...
I sometimes like punchy bass but generaly i am just looking for the best clarity and sound in general.
 
Sorry to disagree , but I really dislike the Starfield's. Again, not so much the sound, but they just don't fit me, and it fact they are actually painful. IMHO (and remember that I have tin ears) the significantly cheaper Spaceships are way better, if you like the V sound. Discuss!!

Sorry for the crappy English and grammer, but remember that "I are an Engineer"
 
DChenery said:
Sorry to disagree , but I really dislike the Starfield's. Again, not so much the sound, but they just don't fit me, and it fact they are actually painful. IMHO (and remember that I have tin ears) the significantly cheaper Spaceships are way better, if you like the V sound. Discuss!!

Sorry for the crappy English and grammer, but remember that "I are an Engineer"
Click to expand...
Do you know if the Blessing 2 are good if tuned? I have googled and it was pretty high on crincale rating list.
 
Jimbob54 said:
The best bang for buck IEM I have are the moondrop starfield.
Click to expand...

+1 Me too. I also own the Blon BL03, they are fantastic for the money, but the Starfields are considerably better - it may help that i'm using a balanced cable with my Starfields and ES100.

The Starfields are quite large and angular, so I understand where DChenery is comming from. However, I have managed to fall asleep in my whilst lying on my side - YMMV. The only other disappointing thing about the Starfields is the paint job; it looks fantastic until it starts to chip off.
 
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DChenery said:
Sorry to disagree , but I really dislike the Starfield's. Again, not so much the sound, but they just don't fit me, and it fact they are actually painful. IMHO (and remember that I have tin ears) the significantly cheaper Spaceships are way better, if you like the V sound. Discuss!!

Sorry for the crappy English and grammer, but remember that "I are an Engineer"
Click to expand...

Sometimes they fit well, othertimes they dig in- the Ety style are the only ones that fit consistently / reliably- but definitely not for everyone.
 
Heard about Tin Hifi T4? I got my pair on preorder when they came out and been pretty happy, using them with comply tips. To be fair, I am not so big on headphones or IEMs and usually go for speakers, but I actually prefer the etymotic style iem that goes deep in the ear, which most IEMs are not these days. Its IN ear monitor, but its barely IN the ear, its more ON the ear. I think the T4 will be better sound than the BLON but like them would be a tight fit in my ear and can be hard to get perfectly in the right position. I use mine with qudelix (similar to es100) and also a cowon plenue d2, both balanced, great sound out of the T4s. Coworker who has much more expensive campfire andromedas was quite impressed also, in fact it was him that originally recommended me tin hifi.
 
Seems you are only starting out. My recommendation is to start out with the Tin T2+, TRN BA5, BQEYZ KB100 or BQEYZ KC2, all for under $55.

I too own the Starfield and several above and below that price point. In that price range I would look also into the Kinera Idun and Ikko OH1.
 
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I owned an KXXS for a year. I don't quite agree with the $190USD price tag of the KXXS. I always felt is would be a top value choice at $150USD. However at $100USD the Starfield, which I understand to be almost the same thing in performance to the KXXS, would be my new recommendation for top value IEM performer. The comfort of the KXXS/Starfield is also really high.

I ordered an ER2SE a few months ago and at $130CAD (~$100USD) I paid, I felt like I threw my money away. It was very uncomfortable and I felt the audio performance was overhyped. I do not feel detail was on the level internet forums hype it up to be. But is was very hard to tell being that is sounded so small it was boring to listen to. If there was more detail than the KXXS, I think the tuning might have masked it (Keep in mind I actually listened to the KXXS without the filter since much prefered the increase in detail without the filter even after the affected tuning). I returned in within a week. Not even going to bother trying the ER4 series. I preferred my KXXS over this. Or in the case of buying one today, I would take the Starfield.

I since sold the KXXS and bought the Blessing 2. For me, it is absolutely worth the price I paid even after the import tax which brought me to $465CAD. It is the most comfortable IEM I ever used (more so than the KXXS). The large nozzle on the Blessing creates a really nice seal without digging into my ear. The tuning is also my new favourite. The bass boost is not too high to create a V shape sound like most IEMs/headphones and not too low that is feels anemic like the ER2SE. And given the low end is a DD, it feels just perfect to me. The mids are there in great clarity I was not expecting from an IEM. The only thing major thing is lacks is extended highs. Whether you like that or not is up to you. I prefer the extended highs. it is not a efficient as the KXXS, but is still easily derivable from most devices. I get sufficient volume and performance from my OnePlus 3T with it's excellent seal. The cable on the Blessing 2 is also softer than the KXXS making it more comfortable around my ears. I honestly like them so much I regret not getting the awesome wood finished versions (I would like that blue or blue/red mixed one). The only thing I might knock the Blessing 2 for is it sounds a little congested when pushed hard from my L30 amp. Although I would prefer it opened up more with this kind of power, most people won't listen very long at those volumes with IEMs.

The Blessing 2 has impressed me so much I am actually curious what the S8 can offer. Unfortunately, there are no good reviews of it that I can find. If you are in the states, I would recommend ordering one from Apos.store. They will give 30 day returns so you can see how great they are for you or not.
 
Jimbob54 said:
Agree with DC above. The best bang for buck IEM I have are the moondrop starfield. I like the Etymotic line but agree the fit isnt for everyone . Also, I'm guessing from your music tastes, bass is a priority? Im not sure either of those IEM are bass specialist- I prefer quite a balanced sound- maybe even bass shy.
Click to expand...
I've never owned any decent IEM's and I'm starting to look for some good value options now. The starfield is definitely in my shortlist.

This hobby is kind of crazy. I used to own the Magni Heresy and Magnius amps. After testing both for a while with my over the ear headphones, I noticed I couldn't really hear the difference between the two. I decided to list both of them on Ebay, roll the dice and see which one would sell first. The plan was to keep the other unit...

A month later, both amps were coincidently sold THE SAME DAY and I ended up with no headphone amp...

After a few days I decided to buy the IEMagni (which has a -10 db gain setting designed for IEM's) due to a positive review from Amir. Now, here I am, looking for another audio equipment that I definitely don't need :facepalm:
 
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