Name an iem or headphone under $500 that sounds better than Hidizs MP145.

[Joe’s Apartment]

Ever since these chunky planar iems arrived at my doorstep, I’ve been head over heels in love with the way these iems sound.

To the point where every headphone and iem I own under $500 just sound disappointing in one way or another by comparison.

I’ve been struggling to find anything under $500 that can throw such a wide and deep soundstage with gobs of detail and effortlessly smooth tone like the MP145.

How is this thing able to throw a stage on par or better than a large open back dynamic or planar headphone? It boggles my mind how most things can sound flat by comparison.

I recently returned the Letshuoer S12 Pro since it was so outshined by the MP145 in every metric and was flat and dull sounding by comparison.

Does anyone know if there is anything under $500 that could match or exceed the technical mastery these under $200 iems possess?

My humble stack consists of the a Wiim Mini, FiiO K11 R2R DAC/Amp, and Xduo T-66 tube amp which pairs really well with my Hidizs MP145 and Sennheiser 560S. I use the K11 to drive my lower impedance Moondrop PARA planars and Verum One MKII.

 

[Heinrich]

To the point where every headphone and iem I own under $500 just sound disappointing ...

This gives the opportunity to remind of a basic fact in headphone and more so in IEM evaluation. The sound depends on the individual physiology. That takes aspects of frequency response into consideration, while with more contemporary offers all other must be deemed resolved. Look into the 17$ price range in the listings of this board, not making fun of it. Perfect, basta.

So, what is left is frequency response, and maybe fit. You are looking for an equalizer, and the best eartips. Regarding the equalizer the problem will be the need for you to actually know, without reference to a frequency response chart or a price tag, what suits you best. Not my fault, but you are actually left alone with that. Luckily, it won't take many models to be interchanged at some high cost, just the right adjustment according to your personal judgement is enough. As I said, the reliable personal judgement is asked with a few changes in the digital regime.

=> https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/truthear-gate-17-iem-review.61784/

Comment: all the dips and peaks are due to individual (averaged) properties of the test-rig. They may, or may not show in a real person's experience. Real persons vary vastly in that regard, let alone the target being again some sort of an average, the direction averaged 'diffuse field'. It may sound harsh, but the single only way to get to optmial resposne is the personal, independent judgement. Isn't is ironic that that part seems to be the hardest for many hifi ehthusiasts, to take a stance for their own liking?

 

[Audiodidact]

The MP145s are great, yes. Excellent spatial characteristics. Loads of micro detail.

But I far prefer the Sony IER-M9s, which are no longer in production but can be found pre owned for around $500 and are my favorite IEMs. Similar spatial qualities and detail, but with natural timbre.

To my ears, despite their excellent technicals and amenability to EQ, you never forget that you’re listening to an electronic device with the MP 145s. They just don’t sound natural to me. There’s something metallic about the timbre. And as a result, I find them fatiguing in comparison.

I use a bit of eq on the M9s.

 

[A Surfer]

There is virtually no relationship between cost and preference. Completely possible, even likely to find a number of headphones and IEM across the price spectrum that you will like.

 

[DVDdoug]

DISCLAIMER - Personally, I don't use in-ears...

With headphones and in-ears, 99% of "sound quality" is frequency response. And different people have different preferences and has been noted different ears actually change frequency response, unpredictably. To a large extent, frequency response can fixed/improved with EQ. All of the headphone & in-ear reviews here include Amir's EQ recommendation.

There is a review of your Hidizs here. It's a positive review showing good compliance with the preference curve. If you want something else with similar sound, look for something with a similar curve.

Unlike with speakers, we usually don't want flat frequency response. The standard preference curve makes headphones/in-ears sound more-like good speakers in a good room and represents what most people prefer.

You can sometimes end-up pushing headphones into distortion by boosting the bass, whether you are boosting the bass because it's weak, or because you just prefer more bass. (I assume this is less of a problem with in-ears since they usually go loud easier.)

that can throw such a wide and deep soundstage

Soundstage is (obviously) an illusion that can't be directly quantified or measured. Frequency response seems to affect it but most people don't want to sacrifice frequency response for soundstage. The good thing is that you seem to be satisfied with both. Soundstage also depends on the recording. Floyd Toole says, "The important localization and soundstage information is the responsibility of the recording engineer, not the loudspeaker".

But with headphones & in-ears, the most common perception is that the sound is coming from inside the head! Consider yourself lucky if get anything like a realistic soundstage illusion! (I perceive it coming from around my forehead except for hard-panned sounds which I hear being "injected" directly into my ears.)

with gobs of detail

When someone says "detail" I think of boosted highs. But... funny thing... Dan Clark (headphone manufacturer) says that increased distortion is often described as "more detail". Another undefined "audiophile word".

and effortlessly smooth tone

I assume that means "smooth" frequency response? Or maybe slightly rolled-off highs?

 

[Heinrich]

Soundstage is (obviously) an illusion ...

What many audiophiles fail to understand is, that stereo/soundstage are not natural outcomes of the recording process. None of all microphone arrangements truely captures a natural soundfield. Let alone a real one, even less so with synthetic sounds. All is in the mix, and I do not know if in today's workflow there is room for IEMs to cross-check the outcome. To expect soundstage w/o considering trickery in frequency response is plain delusional.

There is simply and finally no IEM that can serve all listeners by virtue of inherent perfection, or being close to it. It is inherent to headphones, and even more so for IEMs to be close-center for many, but not quite perfect. To squeeze out the max asks for personal equalisation. And that again depends on taste, personal taste. There is no standard, and it cannot be measured. That simple! So simple, your taste. Hope you have developed some?

 

[IngMishael]

Ever since these chunky planar iems arrived at my doorstep, I’ve been head over heels in love with the way these iems sound.

To the point where every headphone and iem I own under $500 just sound disappointing in one way or another by comparison.

I’ve been struggling to find anything under $500 that can throw such a wide and deep soundstage with gobs of detail and effortlessly smooth tone like the MP145.

How is this thing able to throw a stage on par or better than a large open back dynamic or planar headphone? It boggles my mind how most things can sound flat by comparison.

I recently returned the Letshuoer S12 Pro since it was so outshined by the MP145 in every metric and was flat and dull sounding by comparison.

Does anyone know if there is anything under $500 that could match or exceed the technical mastery these under $200 iems possess?

My humble stack consists of the a Wiim Mini, FiiO K11 R2R DAC/Amp, and Xduo T-66 tube amp which pairs really well with my Hidizs MP145 and Sennheiser 560S. I use the K11 to drive my lower impedance Moondrop PARA planars and Verum One MKII.

no one can. Cos IEM experiences at eardrums differ from person to person in areas that are meaningful enough that any recommendation may sound eh to you. You're chasing the wrong thing

 

[Joe’s Apartment]

The MP145s are great, yes. Excellent spatial characteristics. Loads of micro detail.

But I far prefer the Sony IER-M9s, which are no longer in production but can be found pre owned for around $500 and are my favorite IEMs. Similar spatial qualities and detail, but with natural timbre.

To my ears, despite their excellent technicals and amenability to EQ, you never forget that you’re listening to an electronic device with the MP 145s. They just don’t sound natural to me. There’s something metallic about the timbre. And as a result, I find them fatiguing in comparison.

I use a bit of eq on the M9s.

Thanks for the recommendation. I’ll definitely give them a try as I’ve also heard good things about them, including the spatial separation within the soundstage.

Yes, I agree that planars tend to be slightly unnatural in the upper mids and treble region and therefore can become slightly fatiguing on some tracks (though the MP145 does it better than most others I’ve heard). I counter that by parring them with a purely tube headphone amp which softens that “edge” up by a few degrees. This allows me to disable the EQ so as not to muddy up the signal and increase the negative effects of a crappy EQ.

As far as the other comments regarding soundstage. Yes, I’m aware that the recording contributes the most to a sense of spatial separation between instruments, especially binaural recordings.

It has been my experience, when listening to a variety of headphones/iems, that not all of them can recreate the full depth and breadth within any given recording.

They can only do so in varying degrees and I’m sure a lot of that has to do with frequency response. A slightly recessed midrange can sometimes mimic a sense of depth within the soundstage by placing the vocals “deeper” in the soundstage, at the cost of some midrange presence. But, a wider soundstage (unnatural/artificially created or not) doesn’t seem to be an effect of frequency response alone. That’s more so a byproduct of the drivers and crossover circuit design (possibly internal DSP when applicable).

I would say the MP145 presents a rather wide stage with only a few layers of depth. I tend to prefer width to depth so it doesn’t sound too “spacey”.

I’m aware my ears won’t reflect what others might hear with any given headphone or iem, but often many people have similar experiences with the same gear as myself so that’s why I ask and appreciate others recommendations to try.

Thanks.

 

[drewdawg999]

Well I have the MP145 and barely use them. I like them but don't love them. Among my arsenal, the set I reach for most is the Kiwi x HBB Punch. It's so much fun with the big bass, but it's balanced with nice EST treble and a clear midrange with branded Knowles BAs. It's not just for basshead music, I play everything on them from classic rock to jazz to classical, and it all sounds good. I use the MP145 with the silver nozzles, bass is still enough and detail still comes up a bit short for me. Among planars, I even like the KZ PRX better than the MP145, sounds more open and detailed, and a huge bargain considering difference in price.

 

[Somafunk]

Well I have the MP145 and barely use them. I like them but don't love them. Among my arsenal, the set I reach for most is the Kiwi x HBB Punch

Punch for me as well, that may be as I’ve only owned it for a month,

Punch, Meteor and Meta are my current trifecta at the moment

 

[Joe’s Apartment]

Well I have the MP145 and barely use them. I like them but don't love them. Among my arsenal, the set I reach for most is the Kiwi x HBB Punch. It's so much fun with the big bass, but it's balanced with nice EST treble and a clear midrange with branded Knowles BAs. It's not just for basshead music, I play everything on them from classic rock to jazz to classical, and it all sounds good. I use the MP145 with the silver nozzles, bass is still enough and detail still comes up a bit short for me. Among planars, I even like the KZ PRX better than the MP145, sounds more open and detailed, and a huge bargain considering difference in price.

I’ll have to check out the punch too. I own the KZs as well but find them much more fatiguing though much easier to drive. I think my ear canals amplify treble too much and with no way to tune the KZs other than trying some different tips I get fatigued after an hour or so. They are super detailed though but sound more artificial in upper frequencies. I don’t remember being impressed with their soundstage but I’ll have to give them another listen. I’ve also heard that model had batches with different tunings so sometimes it’s worth the extra money for higher QC and longevity.

 

[Joe’s Apartment]

Punch for me as well, that may be as I’ve only owned it for a month,

Punch, Meteor and Meta are my current trifecta at the moment

I’ll look into the Meteor and Meta as well. Thanks for the suggestions.

 

[raif71]

Have u tried the Truthear Zero Red? I think this sound equally if not better.

 

[Talisman]

To be honest, I bought the MP145 because of the many reviews like yours and I was extremely disappointed not to notice any difference with earphones costing less than 20 euros.

 

[suttondesign]

Have u tried the Truthear Zero Red? I think this sound equally if not better.

This. But I go back and forth between these two. I haven’t used my senn hd800’s for 2 years.

 

[raif71]

This. But I go back and forth between these two. I haven’t used my senn hd800’s for 2 years.

For headphones...I'm using Ananda Nano. Looking forward to Arya Organic for upgrade but have to wait for available funds.
I too have hd800 but I suppose like you, it's in its box.

 

[Somafunk]

I’ll look into the Meteor and Meta as well. Thanks for the suggestions.

My three personal favourites so don’t take that as a recommendation, they have very different tunings and meta is no longer available to purchase.

 

[bruciafili]

I just got the Tea Pro and I think it beats my MP145 in many ways and it should be around 400usd

 

[Robin L]

Have u tried the Truthear Zero Red? I think this sound equally if not better.

I've got the 7Hz x Crinacle Zero:2 IEMs, treble is ever so slightly depressed, there's a small bump in the upper bass. Incredibly low distortion, impressive deep bass. Images about as well as IEMs ever do. I'd say for $25, shipped, it's worth checking out.

'7Hz x Crinacle Zero:2 IEM Review'

Dec 18, 2023

This is a review, listening tests, EQ and detailed measurements of the 7Hz x Crinacle Zero:2 IEM. It was kindly donated to me by a member and costs US $24.99.

The cable is soft and longer than typical which I like. They take fair amount of effort to push it but then they make a reassuring soft click. The tips look cheap and are quite soft. You may need aftermarket ones. I tested and listened using the default red ones you see in the review picture.

Compared to 7Hz Zero IEM that I reviewed recently, these supposed to have a bit more bass and less treble. Let's...

• amirm
• Replies: 1,759
• Forum: Headphone & IEM Reviews & Discussions

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[ElectroEstatico]

Ever since these chunky planar iems arrived at my doorstep, I’ve been head over heels in love with the way these iems sound.

To the point where every headphone and iem I own under $500 just sound disappointing in one way or another by comparison.

I’ve been struggling to find anything under $500 that can throw such a wide and deep soundstage with gobs of detail and effortlessly smooth tone like the MP145.

How is this thing able to throw a stage on par or better than a large open back dynamic or planar headphone? It boggles my mind how most things can sound flat by comparison.

I recently returned the Letshuoer S12 Pro since it was so outshined by the MP145 in every metric and was flat and dull sounding by comparison.

Does anyone know if there is anything under $500 that could match or exceed the technical mastery these under $200 iems possess?

My humble stack consists of the a Wiim Mini, FiiO K11 R2R DAC/Amp, and Xduo T-66 tube amp which pairs really well with my Hidizs MP145 and Sennheiser 560S. I use the K11 to drive my lower impedance Moondrop PARA planars and Verum One MKII.

You are right, these items are very hard to beat and I have also wondered what can sound better than these and so far I have not heard anything better for 150 bucks. They have a lighting speed large soundstage that can stop in an instant thanks to their huge planers, and while some user said about the timbre being a bit metallic is somewhat true, the choice of tips, cable, and dac will play a huge impact in making them sound on the organic side yet preserving the very fast and huge saunstage presentation.

FiiO being one of the very few manufacturers that make an eq available for many of their products has being a perfect combo for me. It’s important to understand how to use the eq correctly, something many people actually won’t ever master, but with the FiiO hybrid filter enabled and correct equalization you can easily make these iems sing very organically yet very vivid without fatigue with clean thunderous huge lows only when the song calls for it, all these without fatigue for several hours and the micro detail it’s outstanding.

. I’m powering mine with a BTR7 and not even using the balanced output which I have the cable for as well. If you happen to have the same dac/iem combo let me know and I will gift you the right settings to make them unbelievably good. I believe I’m using the red grill filters on them and a tripowin? cable from Amazon.

They are bulky, a bit sharp edges and a bit heavy, but other than that I have not found other cons except maybe that if you are inexperienced with pairing combos/ eq then yes it’s easy to bring up the metalic timbre even though they are still somewhat forgiving of source.

For comparison for example I remember all the fuzz that was created for the Simgot EA500 LM, every YouTuber and forums were talking about these as if they were some kind of of miracle budget iem with its perfect linearity and amazing organic timbre and whatnot. What happened is that I pulled the trigger on these iems and needless to say they are complete junk thin and boring sounding iems, the mp145 completely blow them out of the water, there is not even a chance to compare them fairly.The mp145 makes the simgots sound like a 5 dollar piece of junk. I believe I paid 100 for the simgot and 130 for the hidisz.

That is for iems, now about headphones up to 500 bucks like you asked, I would say something from hifiman would sort of challenge these iems.

Pd. I tested the simgot and hidisz with the BTR7 and also with the mojo 2. Surprisingly I feel the FiiO pairs better with the mp145. Admittedly I have not spent as much time with the mojo 2/hidisz combo as I’m using the mojo in desktop mode. The simgot sounds equally junky with any of these dacs.