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What IEMs do you own?

Oldasdrt

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Ety ER3SE
Samsung Pro Buds, Not Pro 2
Pixel Buds Pro

My fave are the Etys, but they are wired, so not really a fair comparison,
Bluetooth, the Samsung Pro, amazing buds with Eq, and less expensive than the Pro 2
The Pixel buds are fantastic also, with Eq, a fantastic app also with them
 

catharsis

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Moondrop Aria, still great sounding, my favorite
Tripowin Mele, darker sound, never sibilant
Letshuoer S12, Best sounding one, some music can be too shouty (2.5 kHz)
Moondrop Quarks DSP with mic, fixed harman curve, cheap, good every day add to my phone, but often miss the first note after the silence in music
Sennheiser IE200, Still trying hart to study these, they are not bad, but somehow wierd upper mids
Truthear Hola, cheap masterpiese for long and easy listening, never sturbing
Ordered: QKZ x HBB, waiting more subbase...
They all sound well through Wavelet EQ in my android, but now I will concentrate their differenses without EQ. I use Spinfit tips (CP100+, CP145) except in S12 which original silicon tips are great. Never liked to use foam tips, they either make too much pressure in-ear channel or don't seal good enough.
 

ObjectiveSubjectivist

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Mine is being delivered today. :D
You won't be disappointed. Small cute looking, because of smallish size the comfort is very good (I always had problems with 'regular' sized iems).
Tuning is really good. Zero harshness a lot of bass, a lot of deep deep subbas.

The downside is a noise. You can spot it. But while listening to music it's not bothering, for 12-15 bucks you cannot go wrong with them.
 

Count Arthur

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So far:

Final E2000 - super light and comfortable, very pleasant sounding, but a little soft and lacking clarity/detail.

Mee Audio MX4 PRO - I liked the sound of these, but I could never get them to fit well and after a while the left earphone started playing up and had intermittent sound. A new cable didn't fix the issue.

Moondrop x Crinacle Blessing 2 Dusk - Fantastic sound and fit like they were made for me. :)

Thieaudio Monarch mk2 - Stunning sound, a little bulky and not as comfortable as the Moondrops, but not too bad.

Dunu Titan S - Similar to the Mee Audio, not as rich or bass heavy as the Moondrop and Thieadio, but very good with great clarity, comfortable too.

Some IEMs are fantastic value at the moment and I imagine there is pretty much something for everyone at all price points. A cheap smart phone (with an SD card slot), a ~$100.00 dongle DAC and a ~$200.00 set of IEMs will offer a level of sound quality and fidelity that would have blown us away a decade ago, let alone 4 decades ago when I was wandering around with a cassette walkman and whatever garbage earphones it came with. :D
 

Oldasdrt

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So far:

Final E2000 - super light and comfortable, very pleasant sounding, but a little soft and lacking clarity/detail.

Mee Audio MX4 PRO - I liked the sound of these, but I could never get them to fit well and after a while the left earphone started playing up and had intermittent sound. A new cable didn't fix the issue.

Moondrop x Crinacle Blessing 2 Dusk - Fantastic sound and fit like they were made for me. :)

Thieaudio Monarch mk2 - Stunning sound, a little bulky and not as comfortable as the Moondrops, but not too bad.

Dunu Titan S - Similar to the Mee Audio, not as rich or bass heavy as the Moondrop and Thieadio, but very good with great clarity, comfortable too.

Some IEMs are fantastic value at the moment and I imagine there is pretty much something for everyone at all price points. A cheap smart phone (with an SD card slot), a ~$100.00 dongle DAC and a ~$200.00 set of IEMs will offer a level of sound quality and fidelity that would have blown us away a decade ago, let alone 4 decades ago when I was wandering around with a cassette walkman and whatever garbage earphones it came with. :D
Yep, Get a used LG V50 or 60 and u won't even need a DAC:) Depending on the IEMs
 

Matias

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When I was a teenager in the 2000s I was obsessed with music and the way I listened was with my iPod and what we called ear buds. At that time I was broke so $20 was a decent chunk of change. I didn't shop online much so I don't remember what the online marketplaces were like, either way I didn't even considered purchasing ear buds online. There were the classic apple ear buds that came with the iPod but they were uncomfortable and had no isolation. Most of my ear buds only lasted a few months anyway, so I had to find new ones often. Walmart, BestBuy, Target, these were the places I would usually look and for under $20 the options were abysmal. JVC Gumys, random Sonys, and obnoxious Skull Candy buds were what I usually ended up with and I'm sure they sounded pretty bad.

In my early 20's I started my career and my HiFi journey. Naturally I started with personal audio since that is what I was accustomed to and I could listen at my desk at work. I found HeadFi and Zeos and got into over-ear headphones. I enjoyed them and owned several mid-grade pairs and even STAX but none of those really sounded neutral to me. When I found ASR and started learning about objectivism I realized all of my headphones were very flawed and since I found them uncomfortable anyway I sold most of them. This is when I learned about IEMs and tried several of those, never spending too much though. For years now all I had for IEMs were the Shure SE215 I used while flying, riding the train, or mowing the lawn, the Tin P1 I used at work, and the Etymotic ER4SR I use to track for recordings or in my motorcycle helmet. None of these sound similar and I wouldn't call any of them neutral. They certainly don't sound as good as my speaker systems so they are relegated to situations which precluded speakers. I listen to the ER4SR with bass boost to make it more enjoyable but that is about the extent of my corrective EQ endeavors when it comes to IEMs.

Then the Moondrop Chu was released, a $20 set that was supposed to have great tuning. I enjoyed them and they certainly sounded close to neutral but their highs were slightly harsh. Then came the 7Hz and Truthear Zeros which I also now own. I am so blown away by the quality now available for $15 - $25, both in terms of build and tuning neutrality. There's the Truthear Hola and few other similarly priced and tuned sets that compete with the 7Hz Zero with detachable cables. I would have been in hog heaven back in my iPod days! The Truthear Zero is what really impressed me though. Deep and clean sounding bass from a dedicated subwoofer supporting a detailed and neutral, if not slightly shouty midrange with smooth treble. Besides the sound, I find it really amazing that these things are 3D printed. It makes sense for the application now but just a few years ago it would have been too expensive for a $50 product like this right?

On Saturday I received my pair of QKZ x HBB Khan. These things use the same DD sizing and crossover style as the Truthear Zero and are also 3D printed. The main difference between them is the tuning, with Khan having more sub bass and less upper midrange. Maybe it is because I used the Zeros with foam tips and the Khan with silicone tips but I don't notice the sub bass boost very much. Both sets sound boosted in that region to me and it is a guilty pleasure. What really stands out is that reduction in upper mids which removes the shouty aspect of the Zeros that could become annoying on certain material during a long listening session. I was afraid this would cause vocals to be recessed but that is not the case at all. So far I am very happy with these and while I would like to hear high end IEMs, It's hard to imagine things could be much better. With the rate of change in the IEM hobby right now I don't feel motivated to spend even more knowing something better and cheaper may be right around the corner.
I have spend 5 figures on my stereo system and yet often if I really want to enjoy music, I grab a pair of 350$ IEMs. It's truely remarkable what was achieved in the last couple of years. Bang for the buck is exceptional with IEMs.
Both your stories resonate 100% with my experience as well! Look at my signature, I have from cheap up to expensive systems, but the IEMs value is out of this world, especially these last 2 golden years. I also wished I had these when I was a child! Many times I even question my main system now.
 

Honken

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Ugh, I shouldn't have bought those darn Truthear x Crinacle Zeros, they have made me buy a lot of IEMs. In the order of purchase:

Truthear x Crinacle Zero ($40) - the first IEMs I bought for use with my PC. I quite like these, fiddled a lot with EQ and finally wound up with a bass heavy, tilted version of the Harman 2019v2 response. Found some music sibilant no matter what I did to the treble though. I liked these so much they made me wonder what else is out there.

Truthear Hexa ($70)- I didn't like the sound of these out of the box at all, found them to be shrill. Made me realize how important the bass response in relation to how "low" the pinna gain is. Better fit and comfort than the Zero, and with EQ they sound more or less the same to my ears as the Zero does (sibilance and all) so, they win out.

7Hz Salnotes Zero ($20)- I really did not like the sound of these out of the box, same issue as the Hexa, too bright and nasal sounding. But they were easily adjusted to my liking and importantly, the sibilance of the Truthears was lower. Fit and comfort is good as well, very nice for $20! Clearly a better IEM than the ASR darling TCZ.

Truthear Hola ($20) - I was just curious what Truthear could do for $20. Bass is excellent out of the box, but I found them sibilant so they don't get much use. Excellent fit and comfort though, they really disappear in the ear.

Moondrop Lan ($35) - I was also curious of how Moondrop perform since they are such a popular brand. The frequency response of these looked almost identical to that of the Salnotes Zero so I figured chances were high that I liked these, and I did. They are my favorite IEM that I own, the sibilance on extreme tracks is even less pronounced than that of the Salnotes Zero. They are also smaller than the Salnotes and they fit my ears very snugly, but with prolonged use (hours) they get warmed up by my ears which isn't a great feeling, a downside of an all metal construction perhaps, but it isn't a dealbreaker. Overall, very happy with these, don't hear any flaws at all with them... ... except they didn't come with the spring tips so:

Moondrop Chu ($20) - I have these on order just for the spring tips. Sound wise I expect them to sound similiar to the Lan and Salnotes Zero.

--

I could have stopped at the TCZ and not really miss out on much sound-wise, the differences are not big at all with EQ. The bass is extremely deep and clear, and the treble is full of detail. Don't find things like imaging or soundstage that different between the different IEMs either, I figure that the small differences I do hear is the difference in frequency response, insertion depth and fit. And fit and insertion depth is where the biggest differences seem to lie between the IEMs I got, I guess I don't insert my IEMs very deep which I guess is what makes me very sensitive to sibilance. I'd like to try an all BA and a planar IEM just to have tried the different technologies but I don't expect them to sound different to dynamic drivers based off my experience with the Hexa.

I do have a Tripowin Zonie cable on order as well, as the different cables that came with these IEMs don't feel that good to me, they tend to tug on the IEM itself and manage to always get tangled. The cable that came with the LAN seems to be the best, but I don't like the ear hook on them.

Anyway, I am very happy with these cheap things perform. My Sennheiser HD600s have been collecting dust in their packaging ever since I took delivery of the TCZ.
 

catharsis

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phoenixdogfan

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Sennheiser IE 800's, Moondrop Quarks DSP, and (on order) Truthear Crinacle Zero's. Think I will stop there. The more I reflect on it, the more convinced that $50 is the most anyone should need to pay to get state of the art IEM sound: They're minimum phase, the housing can be 3d printed from inexpensive materials, the drivers are available off the shelf dirt cheap, they can (and are) fabricated in places where wages are literally pennies an hour, and there's no exxpensive freight or shipping costs. Moewover, high quality designs are already available with whatever tuning you want combined with low levels of distortion for cheap. Plus you can always change the tuning with PEQ. So why pay more, especially if you take them out in public where they can lost or even ripped off your head.
 
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phoenixdogfan

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I actually have an LG V20, although I don't use it as my main phone, which has both an SD card slot and a replaceable battery - everything with a battery should have one that is readily replaceable - including cars.
Also own the V20 as my only phone. Have a battery charger, with the replacement batery always at the ready. Can't imagine "being down" b/c the phone is charging. Only thing is I just found the usb c slot will not send audio signal to my Moondrop Quarks DSP. I'll probably use a tablet with the Quarks, and use the CRZ;s with the V20.
 

AdamG

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Currently on a journey of discovery in the IEM world. Use one set or another every night. Clearly have fallen into the rabbit hole. Never would have imagined that I would buy this many IEMs and just ordered a new set last night. Strange affliction akin to a form of addiction. I think a Coke habit would be cheaper. Mostly fun and exciting experience with a few turds along the way.

  • RBH EP-3 IEM
  • Klipsch R6i II IEM
  • Klipsch Reference X6i IEM
  • MOONDROP STARDUST IEM (Crap no lows)
  • BLON BL-03 IEM (Best for cost, a major sleeper with great Bass)
  • MASSDROP X MEE AUDIO PLANAMIC IEM (Distortion Generator)
  • Apple AirPods Pro (For use Watching Tv when Wife is sleeping, excellent sound and noise cancellation)
  • TRUTHEAR x Crinacle Zero IEM (Great sound but ear nozzle is large and uncomfortable)
  • MOONDROP KXXX IEM (Current reigning champion)
  • Linsoul 7HZ Timeless Planar IEM (Big but sound amazing)
  • FiiO x Crinacle FHE:Eclipse IEM (When you just want Bass)
  • Linsoul 7Hz Salnotes Zero (2nd favorite and 1st place Value with very tunable sound)
  • Moondrop Blessing 2 IEM (Just got them 4 days ago, still assessing, also large ear hole stem)
  • FiiO FH5s Pro IEM (Ordered)
 
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Matias

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I started with an Audeze LCDi3, pretty high end but needs EQ mandatory and no isolation so my usage was very limited, sold it recently.

Then came a Moondrop Aria, which was very good and got me into the rabbit hole of Chi-Fi (China Hi-Fi, literally, no implied meanings here). From them came a Chu and while good I decided to upgrade from both.

The Moondrop Blessing 2 Dusk came as my main IEM and I loooooove them. The entry level end was upgraded to a 7Hz Salnotes Zero, which is better than the Chu, and I sold both the Aria and the Chu.

I still have a curiosity on how the Thieaudio Monarch Mk 2 would sound, and be my main IEM. But this market is crazy fast and every year the best values on each price range are completely different, so I wonder how long the Monarch will be there until a Mk 3 comes out, or another brand replaces it for half the price or whatever, so I am hesitant to spend that much (1k usd)... Much safer on the mid to entry levels.
 
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Tom C

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Currently on a journey of discovery in the IEM world. Use one set or another every night. Clearly have fallen into the rabbit hole. Never would have imagined that I would buy this many IEMs and just ordered a new set last night. Strange affliction akin to a form of addiction. I think a Coke habit would be cheaper. Mostly fun and exciting experience with a few turds along the way.

  • RBH EP-3 IEM
  • Klipsch R6i II IEM
  • Klipsch Reference X6i IEM
  • MOONDROP STARDUST IEM (Crap no lows)
  • BLON BL-03 IEM (Best for cost, a major sleeper with great Bass)
  • MASSDROP X MEE AUDIO PLANAMIC IEM (Distortion Generator)
  • Apple AirPods Pro (For use Watching Tv when Wife is sleeping, excellent sound and noise cancellation)
  • TRUTHEAR x Crinacle Zero IEM (Great sound but ear nozzle is large and uncomfortable)
  • MOONDROP KXXX IEM (Current reigning champion)
  • Linsoul 7HZ Timeless Planar IEM (Big but sound amazing)
  • FiiO x Crinacle FHE:Eclipse IEM (When you just want Bass)
  • Linsoul 7Hz Salnotes Zero (2nd favorite and 1st place Value with very tunable sound)
  • Moondrop Blessing 2 IEM (Just got them 4 days ago, still assessing, also large ear hole stem)
  • FiiO FH5s Pro IEM (Ordered)
That’s quite the arsenal.
 

AdamG

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That’s quite the arsenal.
Thank you I think. If nothing else it demonstrates how addictive this hobby can be. A warning for those yet to enter the IEM game.

My master plan going in was to try a bunch and resell the ones I don’t like here for discount. But I can’t seem to find the will to sell any of the good ones and selling the ones I don’t like would feel like a betrayal of member trust. Maybe I will just give them away? Stay tuned :cool:
 

Honken

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I only have really cheap ones, and even though some of them will probably never find any use ever again I just can't be arsed to sell something that's 20-50 bucks new. Returning them to Amazon only to have them destroy the IEMs feels wrong as well.

I think I'd consider reselling a $1k IEM if I didn't like it though, but I am not really prepared to spend that kind of money on an IEM even if I can afford it. To me, they are fragile, disposable items.

@AdamG247 How would you describe the KXXX IEM? Is it a Drop exclusive?
 
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