Objectivist friendly and wallet friendly IEM?

[Chromatischism]

- Fiio FH3 - reviews are very polarizing

I looked at a lot of reviews and they were consistently positive. I didn't see anything polarizing. Have a link?

I was surprised by their sound and they are my new daily driver. They are very close on balance and do not need much EQ; for some they won't need any at all. Very good for $129.

 

[samwell7]

I have been reading reviews of the Yume. Most reviewers agree that the Yume has exceptional tonal balance but also pales in technicality compared to other IEMs. This makes me wonder, what do they mean by "technicality" or "technical ability"? I assume these reviewers can just "hear" the technicality because nobody conducts any different type of measurements other than the frequency response. Is lacking in technicality a real thing or just an euphemism to say that the Yume is too cheap to be good?

I'm also interested to see if the 'technicality' has any meaning in the real world, I'm pretty sure Crinacle has a description for what he refers to as technicality on his website, I can't remember it though!

 

[HereYaGo]

Galaxy Buds+ are what I narrowed in on when looking at measurements but yeah the 10khz cut on it is the only problem it has
https://crinacle.com/2020/02/19/the-audiophiles-perspective-samsung-galaxy-buds/

I ended up not buying them cause of the 10khz cut lol

 

[samwell7]

Galaxy Buds+ are what I narrowed in on when looking at measurements but yeah the 10khz cut on it is the only problem it has
https://crinacle.com/2020/02/19/the-audiophiles-perspective-samsung-galaxy-buds/

I ended up not buying them cause of the 10khz cut lolView attachment 113702

They're pretty good! I just hate the whole wireless thing, I want something that sounds similar, but is wired so I can use it at my desk.

 

[Chromatischism]

Galaxy Buds+ are what I narrowed in on when looking at measurements but yeah the 10khz cut on it is the only problem it has
https://crinacle.com/2020/02/19/the-audiophiles-perspective-samsung-galaxy-buds/

I ended up not buying them cause of the 10khz cut lolView attachment 113702

He described them as fatiguing.

Indeed, if I boost my Fiio FH3's at all in the treble they get more fatiguing. I actually cut 1 dB which not everyone will need but I like it. So for some, the Harman target in the bass is spot on but the treble may be too aggressive.

 

[Ariamella]

Is the BL03 still a good cheap basshead IEM or are there other newer options? Not looking to spend much more than the price of the BL03.

 

[Veri]

Is the BL03 still a good cheap basshead IEM or are there other newer options? Not looking to spend much more than the price of the BL03.

I find the BL03 excellent for its price, and yes it's very bass-tuned. Recommendation from me but the fit really depends person to person.

 

[Aperiodic]

My vote would be for the Etymotic ER3XR/Er4XR, good values, especially from Massdrop (I mean 'Drop'). About as 'neutral' as you can get. And removable cables eliminate having to toss because of a cable fail. ER3XR is right in OP's budget, if you can stretch the budget a bit the 4XR from Massdrop (I mean 'Drop') will reward your ears.

Be aware, with IEMs, fit is everything for both comfort and sound. I think I tried every tip on the market before finally settling on a third party tip that worked for me. I hesitate to name it because what works for my ears might suck for yours and vice versa.

 

[pk500]

I just got Moondrop Starfields. VERY impressive, especially for $110. A fun sound signature that seems to hug the Harman Curve, with slightly elevated bass and sub-bass and good, clear mids. Treble rolls off just before it becomes fatiguing.

 

[Jimbob54]

The ER4XR/SR seem to go on sale quite often on Adorama. They are discounted to $129, so I jumped on a pair. Seemed like not much of a difference compared to the regular price of ER3 or ER2. Seem like pretty good IEM for the price.

That's an excellent price!

 

[bb8]

+1 for the Moondrop Starfields. I really enjoy their sound to the point where I have not been listening to my cans/speakers as much. They really put a lot of cans and iems to shame for the price. I've had Etymotics before, and they're great, but always found them to sound a little dry/boring. Just my personal preference. Waiting on the Blessing 2 Dusk to arrive so interested to see how they compare.

 

[Jimbob54]

+1 for the Moondrop Starfields. I really enjoy their sound to the point where I have not been listening to my cans/speakers as much. They really put a lot of cans and iems to shame for the price. I've had Etymotics before, and they're great, but always found them to sound a little dry/boring. Just my personal preference. Waiting on the Blessing 2 Dusk to arrive so interested to see how they compare.

Sound great but I have comfort issues with the shape of the shells and trouble getting tips that go deep enough/ stay put. In that regard, Etys win hands down ( I dont mind the deep insertion weirdness)

 

[sejarzo]

My vote would be for the Etymotic ER3XR/Er4XR, good values, especially from Massdrop (I mean 'Drop'). About as 'neutral' as you can get. And removable cables eliminate having to toss because of a cable fail. ER3XR is right in OP's budget, if you can stretch the budget a bit the 4XR from Massdrop (I mean 'Drop') will reward your ears.

Be aware, with IEMs, fit is everything for both comfort and sound. I think I tried every tip on the market before finally settling on a third party tip that worked for me. I hesitate to name it because what works for my ears might suck for yours and vice versa.

I have the ER3SE only because I happened upon a lightly used pair for very little. For me, the Harman IEM target is too bass heavy...so I boost that end somewhat less than target...and I find the 2-4 kHz range overly boosted, so I cut that somewhat.

I have had a variety of Etys over the years (ER6i, original ER4, and now the ER3SE) and was never able to get "proper" insertion of Ety triple flange tips. Our daughter is currently a speech & hearing major and says her canals have a sharper than typical bend halfway in. While she refuses to look in my ears she thinks I have the same issue and agreed it would be impossible for me to get the triple flange tip inserted/sealed.

I will name names on the tip I use: the large Klipsch oval-shaped silicone tip or the knockoff version of same that I found on eBay. For me, it seals as well as the Comply foam tip, is more comfortable, and removal/reinsertion is quite a bit easier. The

 

[Chromatischism]

I saw some reviews of the Starfields and while they seem really good, most of the comparisons I saw to the FiiO FH3 favored the FH3 so I went with those. Of course YMMV and fitment and comfort are also other factors to consider. I wouldn't know how they compare there.

 

[AudioJester]

Drop currently has the 64Audio Nio on sale. Like the fact you can change the bass response / isolation with the apex modules.
Any thoughts on this iem?

 

[Berwhale]

@Chromatischism How's the cable doing on the FH3? I used a similar Fiio cable on my MEEAudio Pinnacle P1's for a while but the cable eventually broke at the interface between the harder plastic ear hook and more flexible part of cable. I'm pretty careful with my equipement, so I quite disappointed when this happened. I use a Linsoul braded cable with my Starfields and this seems to be wearing very well. Of course, the Starfields still make a sound like a Newton's Cradle when they bump together together with the inevitable loss of metalic blue paint from the housing

*edit* Looking at the design of the FH3 cable, it looks like they've put some graduated strain relief on transition between the ear hook and the rest of the cable.

 

[Lbstyling]

Any iem that tuned to this will literally sound like shit.

Out of interest: What's the best IEM for any money that you know of? (With and without EQ)

 

[JohnYang1997]

Out of interest: What's the best IEM for any money that you know of? (With and without EQ)

Personally I'd say I like Moondrop Solis a lot. And then all the etymotics, the S/SR ones like the old ER4S, and ER4SR, I probably like these even more if I want to do deep insertion which is rare nowadays for me. I also liked ER4B with TSX100 comply foam tip with deep insertion.
For recommendation, Moondrop S8, Blessing2, Blessing Husk, Illumination are pretty good. They know what to look for and what to tuned to, and are able to find issues that aren't really representative on just measurements.

 

[Rottmannash]

Tin P4.

 

[Chromatischism]

@Chromatischism How's the cable doing on the FH3? I used a similar Fiio cable on my MEEAudio Pinnacle P1's for a while but the cable eventually broke at the interface between the harder plastic ear hook and more flexible part of cable. I'm pretty careful with my equipement, so I quite disappointed when this happened. I use a Linsoul braded cable with my Starfields and this seems to be wearing very well. Of course, the Starfields still make a sound like a Newton's Cradle when they bump together together with the inevitable loss of metalic blue paint from the housing

*edit* Looking at the design of the FH3 cable, it looks like they've put some graduated strain relief on transition between the ear hook and the rest of the cable.

Right. I don't foresee any issues, but time will tell.