@@lfa1908 Kiwi orchestra lite are a banger for technical iem under 300$ but people can need more bass with these. you also have a better bass responde with the kiwi quintet,
@@your_average_cultured_dude the thing is that apple's aac is not the regular one. what can be describe for the less compressed sensation is that the airpods have sealed housing, to which the blessing 2 have some air vent
@@your_average_cultured_dude every compression algorithm is based on a different philosophy. AAC (like its predecessor mp3) is based on psychoacoustics. Bitrate is just a number.
@@your_average_cultured_dude It's 265 Kbps, which for psychoacoustics-based AAC and Apple (proper) hardware encoder/decoder is more than enough and actually one of the best types of Bluetooth transmission. Most of the time on iPhone and good certified TWS you'll get better quality than via LDAC, which is easily fucked up, because every manufacturer encodes/decodes the data however they want. There's a lot of research on the web which demonstrate it.
@@ArielGonzalez1Nah, major reason is codec. I've tried the same TWS AAC on an iPhone and then switched to LDAC on an Android phone, and the LDAC really does sound a lot less compressed.
I really appreciated Hans in particular because while he was unbiased in terms of the brand names, he clearly still knew what to listen for and has that "musician ear" trait.
This was really interesting. I own three of these (Dusk, IE 200, Cadenza), and I can totally understand their reactions, even though I would not rank them the same way. The Cadenza really is an amazing deal, and it’s a great walking-the-dog, running-errands IEM. Relaxing, comfortable, and very well tuned.
@@kinn233 No, the Dusk is far more resolving and retrieves much more detail, as you would expect from the price difference. But for the price, the Cadenza is excellent. For me, it beats anything else I’ve heard under about $80 (though there is much that I haven’t heard).
timbre of single dd is just so smooth could see why they'd enjoy the cadenza the most , maybe throw a 2dd model like red and couple planars in the next one
@@fazzxides8429 the kadenza is more V shaped than the IE200, I could see how they would enjoy it more, especially on the IE200 depending on the tips they had it's easy to get a bad seal and no bass. Personally the IE200s are the only IEMs I've tried that I can keep comfortably for more than 5 minutes, but the kadenza didn't seem huge so I might give them a try
Without marketing bias and product reviewers, you are left with only the purest impression of how an inear sounds to their ears. Do you know how to evaluate in a more technical way? no... Are they wrong in their impressions? Of course not... Excellent video, and it makes us reflect on the value of these inears, they are definitely not worth what they cost.
That attitude is purely subjective as has no bearing on reality. Diminishing returns are entirely subjective. It is always fallacious to use them as a argument, as thats a mistranslation of what that word means in this context. Let's give a example. If we think of the clarity and detail of a headphone like a window. The difference between one of the best earphones in the $500-1k category and a TOTL earphones is the window being spotless, and the window not being there at all. If you want the window to no longer exist, then you are willing to pay *how ever much more it cost to get that* . To that guy, its ENTIRELY worth its value, therfore there value of diminishing returns never applied as to get that experience, they could pay NO LESS for it. Now the reason such a earphone is considered as 'beyond diminishing returns' to you is because you DONT value that requirement relative to its cost of reaching that point. Both of you are completely valid, because its COMPLETELY subjective and therfore cannot be used in the context of proving anything.
It dependent on what you require from your music. Lesser headphones will make genres sound more generic of eachother. If you listen to an extremely technical range of music, you will value technicalities more, because it will more correctly demonstrate those differences. If it made you appreciate the enormous array of genres you listen to even more for exactly the technicalities they have in their different musicianship and audio engineering, like if you demand that you know how the technicalities of a violin being recorded, then there is no diminishing returns, as it can only get closer to correctly replicating it. Most people dont listen to music with that level of insight from experience, but the value is absolutely there for those that do, and would be an objective waste of money to pay for something that didn't sound how you wanted to hear your music.
Dude, most normal people think those B&O headphones sound "natural" when they are a complete travesty interms of production quality. Not the benchmark you want this to be.
There is a guy called @mangaas that has used 9 alt accounts to prop his and some other comments like this one. This comment went from 14 to 24 in 1 minute.
@@liamhenderson3958 that is just not true. an “extremely technical range of music” is a ridiculous way of putting it and does not exist in the way you think it does. music simply requires to adequately use the entire frequency spectrum to be viable for immediate technical analysis, which ties perfectly to a lot of pop music nowadays. i listen to just as much orchestral, or cinematic soundtracks as pop music, and i hate the elitist idea that one or the other is inherently more “detailed” when in reality, if anything, pop music would be better to analyse the performance of an iem because you can clearly hear the timbre of the emphasised vocals. shimmering hi hats and air exists the same way in production as with a recording of an orchestral piece.
I spent quite a bit on this hobby over the last couple of years. I have the RME ADI-2 DAC, LCD-X 2021, HE6SE V2, among some other things. I wanted a bassy closed back, knowing that I'll have to sacrifice some soundstage and detail. I got a Denon D9200. I hated them, and returned them. Last week I got the Cadenda, I didn't know what to expect. I was wowed. They were everything I wanted the Denon to be. Just goes to show you don't have to spend a ton for pure musical enjoyment. For most people, they will probably sound better then 99.5% of systems they heard before. Especially the bass. Most domestic hifis don't reproduce bass like that.
dude , nobody talks about this anymore but shop around on audio technica . I have a closed back 660 version that has the large bass drivers in them , and after breaking them in really good and upgraded the cable , they kick ass , and do not require a ton of power to do so. Technica has a ton of models , but focus on the bass port ones. They can handle however much power you put to them also , you will blow your ears out before you hear any distortion or anything like that , which means they upscale very well.
Question, why is everyone in the comments defending their expensive IEMs? I mean, if we as audiophiles are indeed the more mature crowd and know what's good and what isn't, why do people feel they need to defend against what 'general consumers' think? This speaks volumes about how confident people are with their purchases. While you think about that, I'm gonna grab some Candenzas to add to my collection.
They can't trust their ears and need to justify their purchases. Just be honest with yourself, we all like different sounds, it's ok to return the $5000 IEM that everyone is praising.
It's like gambling. They have spent too much and they thought would just be a shame for them to spend that much for something isn't good. They have to praise them to prove that they aren't idiots. Or maybe the other way round their IEMs are actually good! Remember audiophiles. It's ok to be wrong
I like your recap at the end, Chrono. The hobby is at a point where "good" or clean reproduction of your music library is attainable for cheaper than ever before. In spite of massive growth in the budget IEM space, though, there is still a prevalent bias for more expensive gear, not necessarily because it sounds better than the cheap stuff (though in some cases it certainly does) but because it feels more premium. We saw this with the release of Project Red, where people were upset that Crin's IEM was priced at only $55. As Crin said, he could have charged $200 for the same sound quality and a nicer build. But he couldn't bring himself to do that, knowing that he could achieve his target frequency response with cheaper materials and charge $55. In the grand scheme of things, there are few IEMs that are worth their MSRP for improvements in tuning and technicalities over the options available at under $100, and typically it's the hardcore enthusiasts who find these price increases to be worth it. So for anyone who just wants a good-sounding product, they can get that for under $100 easily, even under $50. But for people who enjoy the hobby and like to explore different tunings and appreciate subtle differences in technicalities, it makes sense to explore different options at different price points to find something that matches their niche preferences.
This was a cool video, I love seeing the other side in what people think of some of these. It provides a bit of a sanity check to the hobby, knowing that there really is a difference in sound. Also, seeing the IE200s squarely at the bottom was a little funny since they're my daily drivers for pretty much everything. I wear iems for like 10-12 hours a day so these really work for me just because of the sheer comfort, even better with some foam tips. Though their base tuning is really shrill and very thin, with some good eq you can get them to sound phenomenal! If you are looking at these, don't be discouraged by the initial sound as it can be changed, if you really want comfort, these are by far the most comfortable iems money can buy.
i honestly really like this video, as someone who recently bought a few budget IEMs this made me feel a bit validated so to speak. when reviewers talk about IEMs i struggle understanding what they are saying but hearing your friends talk about them made me understand and granted the current IEMs i own is the 7hz zero, kiwi ears cadenza and now the hbb x blon z300 and hearing your friends talk about the kiwi i felt so validated like i really like the cadenza and hearing them like felt like a victory for me lol i like the cadenza even more than the 7hz zero i kinda dont like how the 7hz fits it hurts a bit its not something i can wear for long periods of time, where as like the cadenza its comfy the music sounds so good and its just overall really good, but now i got the hbb x blon n im trying this one out and im stuggling if i like it more than the cadenza the feel of it is so nice its got a nice little weight to it and i noticed certain sounds are louder n maybe clearer but i cant quiet say if i like it more than the cadenza i do like the weight of it more tho.
A lot of music out there was not recorded to showcase stage and technicalities of the gear. For these I put IEM comfort at the top and tuning next. But there are musical pieces that benefit from highly technical gear. I can tolerate even some discomfort to listen to these. An audiophile is someone who can pick the proper/matching gear for a particular piece of music for the most enjoyment. Cadenza is one of those gems that can handle gracefully multiple genres. A piece recorded with elevated highs can make expensive IEM fail and sound well on an otherwise unimpressive IEM.
I have them (and other more expensive IEMs) and Cadenzas are... Acceptable. Just solid all around. Controlled bass is a plus. Definitely a no-brainer for a measly $35.
Chrono, good to see you in NY, and great video again with your friends! We (the reviewers) are so often all over the place with our opinions, it's quite funny. It's not that complicated for almost every other human listening to music. In addition, the high-end IEMs can really take some getting used to and a lot of time to appreciate. That said, in today's market, none of them above approx. 250 can justify their price tag based on $$/performance ratios. The point of diminishing returns is almost at floor level for IEMs now - mind-boggling progress!
Great video. Unbiased and non-Audiophile (normal person's) honest impressions. Makes you think about the hype and price point of the supposed "audiophile" grade iems.
They had that reaction (so did I) because they didn't have their preference yet, they will discover what they like and dislike, and appreciate higher sound quality the more they listen. And a lot of IEMs are super overpriced. Both things are true.
@@ROCKSTAR3291 The first point is cope, the second point is true. Audiophiles love snake oil and perceptions are fallible and prone to biases and placebo, it is what it is
@@Gabrielnfs Both statements are true and valid. It can take a considerable amount of time to identify your preferred sound signature and distinguish between worthwhile investments and gimmicks. In my personal experience, it took me more than 10 trials of headphones to find my ideal sound signature. While some audiophiles focus on acquiring the newest and most advanced equipment, others are satisfied with headphones like HD650 or Sundara even after testing several high-end models.
@@Gabrielnfs Lots of people don't like to EQ, some headphones are not good with EQ. And I didn't buy 10 headphones, I demoed them. Only 3 headphones in my possession.
i think i remember in a currawong video with headphones a lot of people put meze empyrean first. maybe theres something with first impressions perferring warmth. is cadenza most adherent to the target given how treble light they are?
@@MrWizardjr9 I’m more surprised how people didn’t like the Meteor. It has a more dark sound with emphasized mid bass than mid treble and upper mid ranges.
@@MrWizardjr9 warmth is often categorized with relaxed signatures so ofcourse, plus for mainstream peeps who got used to transducers that takes advantage of bass to hide incoherencies it would be improved nature to them.
@@zelven6109 you might be on to something with familiarity. I remember the custom keyboard community being aghast about the LTT switch comparison video where the mx browns overwhelmingly won the tactile category when it is one of the most hated switches in the community lol.
I love this video. Sound signature is all about personal preference. I LOVE seeing excessively priced items being ranked way below much more appropriately priced items. I LOVE this.
In all fairness the super expensive ones are not only well tuned but also have very high quality material and amazing drivers. Which objectively push harder and being out more detail Although subjectively you may hate them because it's not your taste
Nice vid but you should put up the prices of the eim when they use them so that the audience knows what price range they are listening too if we aren’t already familiar with the iem
agreed i have the same sentiment. I think its possible to repeat the price with the actual intended sound signature of each iem, i found myself googling the prices of the iems on a separate browser (with several browsers open just to be reminded on the price) and the type of sound signature they have. it would put their subjective opinions into better context
Definitely. Personally I knew the prices and the FR graphs of all IEMs in the video by heart, but even though I'm not that much into this whole thing anymore I still may be considered a HUGE portable audio nerd. And this exactly the kind of video that should be aimed towards your average Joe at least just as much as towards folks like me.
Would it have killed you guys to add the price of each headphone as they were being tested? I have no idea what these are as there are probably more headphone brands than energy drink brands in the world.
Since many asked for the prices, I made a price list at September 2024 if you want to follow along : - Moondrop Blessing 2 Dusk: 330$ - Symphonium Ausio Meteor 600$ - Kiwi Hear Cadenza : 35$ - Sennheiser IE-200 : 149$ - 64 Audio U12t : 1999$
Interesting video! Good shout about IEMs being mostly about right tonality and comfort (getting a seal is of utmost importance). I wonder what was their reaction after being told how much the u12t costs!
Comfort especially is severly underrated. I've gotten the Truthear Hola a few weeks back and been using it over my MUCH more expensive IEMs, just because of perfect fit and light weight in my ears. I just EQ 3k and 200hz down a bit and I can litteraly listen to them all day.
This was very surprising. Maybe it's the bass and warmth doing the trick for Cadenza. Would love if next time you can try the test with some FatFreq iems, would be interesting how your friends regard those.
Great video this morning ☕️☕️ I’ve had the pleasure of introducing people to IEM’s ..people who don’t have anything more than ear buds…if that …And no matter what I give them to try ..their mind is blown ! Now as good as most over ear headphones are ..they can never have that deep impactful bass and sense of sound that a decent iem will have at a faction of the price of even mid tier headphones…and even then . Have a great Easter 🐣
Grace has a natural talent for this kind of thing, I trust her and Golden Ears over on Gizaudio more than any other reviewers at this point lol. My next IEM purchase will be the Cadenzas. Thanks guys!
So many one-driver inexpensive IEMs that are tuned well lately. $40 and under is full of good stuff. Find a good fit and look as long as they have good rating. The Truthear Hola are another $18 cheapie that does well.
@@Rabs1 I got the Wan'er along with a few others recently. Not really liking it. I think some have said to break them in for a good amount of time to tame the highs. Going to try that.
@@johnmcvicker6728I put Spinfit CP100 on the WANER and it fits well now. to break them in I had an old phone play with them plugged in until the battery ran out, did that for days.
In my opinion, audiophile now a days talk only about drivers, technicalities, graphs, tuning ect, nobody don’t feel the music and how pleasing anymore. Thats why we should do blind testing with normal people.
I have only listened to sets that cost up to 80 usd and that is the T3+ one thing I liked about them is that they are fun but they don't disappoint on what they deliver and they are my benchmark now on the sound sig and comfort since if I want and upgrade from T3+ i'd get the same sound sig but more resolving and have more techs with alongside the very comfortable 3d printed resin shell. T3+, they are just very COMFORTABLE, I'm actually considering getting the panda just for the shell but it'll keep me wanting for the sound improvement.
It would be really useful if you put the values up as well as the names of the earphones so people who aren't familiar with all the various IMS can understand what they're watching. Great video though thanks.
@@migracing8232 harman IE is too shouty for me i prefer vsdf. and harman OE has too much bass for me but otherwise i like harman OE much more than harman IE
My 10 year old IEMs kicked the bucket. As a lifelong musician I needed new ones. Couldn't find anything good sounding here (testing all brands I mostly heard bass and shrill highs to which my body reacted horribly) and was referred to Chi-Fi. Took me 4 weeks to get to know the topic (I am no audiophile, but as a musician you have an ear for music I guess) and the products, got myself a Truthear Hexa and am blown away. Exactly what I wanted sound signature wise and all the rest is just fantastic. No need to get anything more expensive or search for something better. So it really doesn't suprise me that your friends are having a blast with a 35 USD set. :)
Now do a follow-up video to check if they prefer the Cadenza or Senn IE 900. This would be a great way to check if per their opinion higher price products may be worth it.
It is very important. Please state what genre (or tracks) they listened to. The Kiwi Ears has subdued high and rich bass. Ofc I don't like the U12t either way.
What genre, which tracks, what volume, what tips, what insertion depth, what preference, what ear canal shape and resonance peak and this is why reviews of iems are almost pointless.
Apparently you don't need to go far from your budget to have the best iem experience especially if you have a normal ears..i like this type of blind listen for normal/regular listeners..make a part 2 of this video man, the one that you use your regular phone and a simple dongle maybe..this is awesome.
I wish you'd show results at the end with the price guesses against actual price and tally their rankings. I know you said it's not a scientific experiment, but it would be easier for simpletons like me to compare results because by the end I'd forgotten details how they stacked up.
Did you use Adobes AI for the microphone audio in the beginning and the very end? You can hear the AI just so you know but, it sounds very clear and the average person wouldn't notice unless they were listening very closely. Great video!
Stepping up to the 50 dollar range is a huge difference. You can actually pick out all of the instruments. The lead voice is actually separated from the track. It's worth it imo.
For your information, iem’s are designed like reference monitors, in order to not color the music, they are designed to operate on a flat response. You have work harder to sound better. Another thing, rarely do I see a pro use both at the same time. I use one for just my vocals and keys and a wedge/floor monitor as a side fill with everyone in it so I can gauge myself on harmony.
I collect inexpensive iem's with unusually good sound, like the kiwi ears, its a rewarding hobby as you can bang in your kz Pr1s and laugh at the dudes with their sundaras and such that you cant go anywhere with.. and you are 80% there, for less then 100 bucks. I have 30 dollar headphones that are just brilliant..but you do need to invest in a decent dap or dongle dap with balanced output. Good show, I like this experiment, it proves a point. Most people cant spend 1000 on a set of iem's, and nowdays with chiifi growing up, you dont need to. Something like those kiwi ears did not exist 5 years ago.
they all picks them cause they was dipped in resin and looked expensive , its the same with food if you haven't made it yourself , the getter it looks the better it also tasted usually. and possible the in rar fit too lacked on some of them, ontop of in my expirence, if you have a flat natal music speaker, you rally need to crank the volume up for non audiofiles, cause most of them value bass and thumping midrange the most
My fav IEMS atm are the Simgot em6l that I picked up on sale recently. They are jsut amazing all arounders and great for gaming(tarkov/wow). I also own tin t2/crin zero blues/chu II/Kiwi Ears Cadenza/TANGZU Wan’er S.G as well as a lot of headphones ranging from hd 58x to 1990 pros.
No, different ppl different preferences. Dont let them influence you if you know what you like. I dont love the cadencas either, i enjoyed my hexas way more.
I would guess it has to do with IEMs as a platform benefits from a bit lower trebble. Ear piercing sounds are going to feel much worse inside of your ear than a pair of over ear headphones with similar signature. Probably going to get those Kiwis, for the price it seems really promising.
11:30 "Something's a bit wrong!" What's wrong is how IEM companies mark up the prices 10-100x if not more, and you end up with trash quality IEMs that people are buying solely for how they look. That's what I noticed at least.
Does anyone know the color-changing lamp in the background at 0:01 min that's attached to an arm? Is that even a lamp? Is it a mike? Might be both. In any case, it's similar to the one DMS has on his desk in some reviews. I need this thing in my life, and you might too.
Are they listening to the same tracks between IEM's though? Because if they happen to listen to a track with good dynamic range on one pair, and then happen to listen to something completely brickwalled on another, that's going to impact their experience massively, regardless of IEM. This impacts your sound more than your amp or dac would. Even if your audio is super high res, if it's compressed into oblivion, that won't matter much sadly.
8:30 Heh, well that would be no problem for most adults. A Quick Google (tm) says most people over 18 can't hear 18kHz anymore. I'm 37 and can manage to hear juuuuust about up to 14 900 Hz, a bit higher than average for my age. (There are plenty of tests available on RUclips for example). It's sort of interesting to think that I'd guess most people who are recording, mixing and mastering the biggest budget records around are probably 35+ years old. If they were, say, 50 years old, they could on average hear up to around 12 kHz. But then again, they must have enough experience to know their job and be able to account for that. Or, perhaps they use younger test subjects to verify what they're doing?
TIn hifi T2 has proven time and again to me that good tuning doesnt cost a million dollars I am always amazed at how good they sound whenever i pick them up to use them with my ipad
if they only had some bass.... they would be perfect. idk what it is but something in the way the t2 reproduce voices is a level above anything ive ever heard.
@@robertduluth8994 Hey there I recently picked up the Linsoul ZiiGaat NUO, been really enjoying them They are very lightweight and comfortable to wear, come with an excellent cable Warmish sounding with definitely enough bass Give them a try
Guessing the Cadenzas must scale well with the very good sources used :) This throws more weight to Crinacle type reviews :) Surprised the meteors didn’t fare better, HBB favorite, though I haven’t heard any of these :) Excellent video and nice friends :)
Serious question, is it a thing these days, perhaps a fashion fad to brush ones eyebrows upwards in an unkempt way? I don't remember seeing this phenomenon prior to 3 years ago.
I can't stand the meteor or really anything from symphonium. The meteor in particular does not have anywhere near enough ear gain for me. Makes it sound muddy.
I've been saying forever the U12t are overhyped for the extreme price. I haven't heard the rest of these so I don't know if the Kiwi Ears has a huge caveat/flaw that these newbies couldn't hear, but the U12t is for sure not worth its price tag. I read up on the Cadenzas, and they must've heard the rich bass (which also could have to do with test tracks played). They probably weren't paying attention to tonality or imaging. I still have to emphasize I returned my U12t and will never buy one again. If you want to spend over $1k, definitely don't spend it on the U12t.
no iem above 100 dollars is "worth the price". theres diminishing returns for everything in life but when people are passionate about something they want the best despite that.
.. I was so convinced about the Linsoul Kiwi Ears Cadenzas that I just ordered a couple pairs from Amazon. I mean geez $30/ea .. How can you go wrong??!! Especially after the nearly $1,000 I just dropped on a tube DAC Amp and HiFiman XS Edition this is pennies. People on Hi-Fi just literally brainwashed themselves and the believing whatever the hell they want, and can't see the forest through the trees.
@@hypnogri5457 .. Planars aren't all that great and some of them are actually pretty bad. It's all on the tuning and people's ability to hear, and this is coming from someone whose daily driver is a HiFiMan Edition XS. The nearly insignificant distortion difference between Planar and Dynamic is indistinguishable by most people, again, it's mostly in a tuning.
@@MrWizardjr9 this very expensive iem's are not mass market stuff. just search online videos of how this things are made each thing has to be tested individually and there are even specialists with microscopes to work under it. this is because high end iem's are mostly R&D stuff, not mass market stuff like earpods etc.
Brilliant vid. Made up my mind for me about what in-ears to get. When 3 such diverse people all define them as 'best' (and despite the notation about 'comfort' being one of the defining reasons) I think that is enough for me to start with these. I am pretty sure I will be pleased. Great vid, and even the linked vid simply confirmed my choice. there was one other, but frankly it looked ugly so, maybe that was the final tipping point? They LOOK great too!
Eh i personaly find them bland, but that is just personal preference. I like treble and the Cadenza doesn't really give me nice treble. Bass is nice and EQ exists.
Can you imagine a revolution in graphics cards and performance for similar pricing budgetary options? Like 4k 240 hz capable graphic cards at like $300….
Should've had them test more distinct but popular iems like the Timeless, OH10, T3+, QKZ HBB etc. and throw endgame iems into the mix like the Maestro SE or the Elysian Annihilators. Would've been a lot more interesting to see their reaction to these significant changes but also those price points. Blessing 2 Dusk was a good add though given it's popularity.
I own a LARGE collection of IEMs and headphones. From 20 to 2000$+. My most expensive IEMs are only 1000$ though. The Cadenza is one of my favorite IEMs ever. I got a pair for my GF ans she absolutely loves them. They're soooo comfy, light, you're not scared of breaking them so you can go out and throw Them in a bag without stressing out... The sound is top tier for the money... You can't go wrong.
@@nicolasaudy6250 when compared to the prices going above, as in from 20 dollars to 1000 dollars, where do you see the price point get diminishing value in return, as in (more money doesn't necessarily mean same amount of increased sound quality) and which price point,(or iem) you think is the best value.
@@theinceptor3672 Starts diminishing the most around $300+. Diminishes more and more from there. I'd say the best value is either in the 300 or 500 range if you want something that performs the best for your money.
i think its also good to put in the description as well for the msrp price and a quick blurb of the each the iems just for references. It was quite confusing watching the video and having a reference how their opinions were either similar to or different from the intended sound signature of the each iem and the prices
Honest and possibly helpful feedback (to make the video more digestable) i think it would be helpful to have a little subtitle on the bottom that reference the price of each earphone (during each segment for context for the viewer), each person is discussing about and a little "blurb" with context to how they were suppose to sound. in relation to what each person is hearing. For example if someone were to say something sounds brittle, (perhaps theres some truth what they are saying, maybe the treble is too emphasized). for example Ex the blessing 2 is a bright sounding earphone with a subdue bass (or even have a small corner with a screenshot of the frequency response) so to have some context. Also at the end when they rank their earphones have the prices listed with the names of each earphone for context (easier to see perhaps its not price that influence their choices, or maybe they just have "expensive" tastes. It would shorten the views and make it easier for the viewers to see whats happening
Nice video. I feel like IEMs are leading the charge for best value for money when it comes to SQ if you don't mind having things in your ears. Chord Mojo 2 plus Cadenza would be a killer combo for new audiophiles without breaking the bank. A top system that is attenable even for students with part-time jobs.
@Silver Joystix I get it. You are with the spend the money on the IEM/HP first crowd and I get it. I was that guy. After maybe 6 DACs and 10 HPs later I have an opposite view. Spend the most budget on the DAC/Amp first and rest on best IEM you can afford. Good luck on your audiophile and enjoy your music.
$40 is really expensive for the cheapest option when you consider that some of the most used iems used to be the freebies we got with phones before companies got too stingy for that, or some $20 random pair of Sony's. Nowadays you have pretty solid options for half the price of rhe the cheapest tier
Well that would need a more in-depth analysis, like with more people, in various situations (crowded places, with more "real-life" situation of using an IEM, etc.), and with audio spectrum stuff, BUT… This is already a massive hint about prices range correlation to quality to see the U12t that are 2000€+ (!!!!!???) being topped by the cheap Cadenza (-50€).
The budget IEM range has been on fire lately. Nice video
Can u suggest me a planar under 300 dollars? I am looking for sheer technical performance coupled with an emphatic bass response.
@@lfa1908 letshuoer s12
@@lfa1908 Kiwi orchestra lite are a banger for technical iem under 300$ but people can need more bass with these. you also have a better bass responde with the kiwi quintet,
@@lfa1908 letshouer z12?
@@lfa1908 the 7Hzx\ x crinacle Dioko one dude, less than 200
3:30 "felt less compressed" actually very accurate considering he was comparing wired to Bluetooth earbuds.
and not just any bluetooth, the airpods use AAC codec I'm pretty sure, which is waaaay lower bitrate than the standard aptx and LDAC
@@your_average_cultured_dude the thing is that apple's aac is not the regular one. what can be describe for the less compressed sensation is that the airpods have sealed housing, to which the blessing 2 have some air vent
@@your_average_cultured_dude every compression algorithm is based on a different philosophy. AAC (like its predecessor mp3) is based on psychoacoustics. Bitrate is just a number.
@@your_average_cultured_dude It's 265 Kbps, which for psychoacoustics-based AAC and Apple (proper) hardware encoder/decoder is more than enough and actually one of the best types of Bluetooth transmission. Most of the time on iPhone and good certified TWS you'll get better quality than via LDAC, which is easily fucked up, because every manufacturer encodes/decodes the data however they want. There's a lot of research on the web which demonstrate it.
@@ArielGonzalez1Nah, major reason is codec. I've tried the same TWS AAC on an iPhone and then switched to LDAC on an Android phone, and the LDAC really does sound a lot less compressed.
I really appreciated Hans in particular because while he was unbiased in terms of the brand names, he clearly still knew what to listen for and has that "musician ear" trait.
Grace is a prodigy 😄 she nails the prices mostly, she explains it clearly with minimal vocabulary. I might even buy myself a cadenza,😅
bought the cadenza based off of this video. Can confirm sounds clear and crispy
I feel like most people who say "I have a limited vocabulary"... don't.
@@symms lol I have them in the cart right now on amazon XD
@@mromuttarriving tomorrow off Amazon 🤣
This was really interesting. I own three of these (Dusk, IE 200, Cadenza), and I can totally understand their reactions, even though I would not rank them the same way. The Cadenza really is an amazing deal, and it’s a great walking-the-dog, running-errands IEM. Relaxing, comfortable, and very well tuned.
is the cadenza that detailed comparing with dusk. Would they be a 9 and a 10
@@kinn233 No, the Dusk is far more resolving and retrieves much more detail, as you would expect from the price difference. But for the price, the Cadenza is excellent. For me, it beats anything else I’ve heard under about $80 (though there is much that I haven’t heard).
@@Quixorion if you like the Cadenza’s tuning, then yes, I think that the IE 200 might be a good choice-though it has a bit more treble.
@@halbrooks7517 do you think cadenza is better than the hola/wan'er and hexa ? 🤔
@@yogavardhang2349 unfortunately, I have not heard either of those, so I can’t comment.
timbre of single dd is just so smooth could see why they'd enjoy the cadenza the most , maybe throw a 2dd model like red and couple planars in the next one
Sennheiser IE 200 also a single DD..
@@fazzxides8429 the kadenza is more V shaped than the IE200, I could see how they would enjoy it more, especially on the IE200 depending on the tips they had it's easy to get a bad seal and no bass. Personally the IE200s are the only IEMs I've tried that I can keep comfortably for more than 5 minutes, but the kadenza didn't seem huge so I might give them a try
Shoutout to Grace! She’s got this hobby down and she’s barely in it 😂
They have her so worried about getting it wrong
She should start a iem review channel by herself and I'd subscribe to it lol
Write the prices on screen...
Without marketing bias and product reviewers, you are left with only the purest impression of how an inear sounds to their ears. Do you know how to evaluate in a more technical way? no... Are they wrong in their impressions? Of course not... Excellent video, and it makes us reflect on the value of these inears, they are definitely not worth what they cost.
That attitude is purely subjective as has no bearing on reality. Diminishing returns are entirely subjective. It is always fallacious to use them as a argument, as thats a mistranslation of what that word means in this context. Let's give a example. If we think of the clarity and detail of a headphone like a window. The difference between one of the best earphones in the $500-1k category and a TOTL earphones is the window being spotless, and the window not being there at all. If you want the window to no longer exist, then you are willing to pay *how ever much more it cost to get that* . To that guy, its ENTIRELY worth its value, therfore there value of diminishing returns never applied as to get that experience, they could pay NO LESS for it. Now the reason such a earphone is considered as 'beyond diminishing returns' to you is because you DONT value that requirement relative to its cost of reaching that point. Both of you are completely valid, because its COMPLETELY subjective and therfore cannot be used in the context of proving anything.
It dependent on what you require from your music. Lesser headphones will make genres sound more generic of eachother. If you listen to an extremely technical range of music, you will value technicalities more, because it will more correctly demonstrate those differences. If it made you appreciate the enormous array of genres you listen to even more for exactly the technicalities they have in their different musicianship and audio engineering, like if you demand that you know how the technicalities of a violin being recorded, then there is no diminishing returns, as it can only get closer to correctly replicating it. Most people dont listen to music with that level of insight from experience, but the value is absolutely there for those that do, and would be an objective waste of money to pay for something that didn't sound how you wanted to hear your music.
Dude, most normal people think those B&O headphones sound "natural" when they are a complete travesty interms of production quality. Not the benchmark you want this to be.
There is a guy called @mangaas that has used 9 alt accounts to prop his and some other comments like this one. This comment went from 14 to 24 in 1 minute.
@@liamhenderson3958 that is just not true. an “extremely technical range of music” is a ridiculous way of putting it and does not exist in the way you think it does. music simply requires to adequately use the entire frequency spectrum to be viable for immediate technical analysis, which ties perfectly to a lot of pop music nowadays. i listen to just as much orchestral, or cinematic soundtracks as pop music, and i hate the elitist idea that one or the other is inherently more “detailed” when in reality, if anything, pop music would be better to analyse the performance of an iem because you can clearly hear the timbre of the emphasised vocals. shimmering hi hats and air exists the same way in production as with a recording of an orchestral piece.
I spent quite a bit on this hobby over the last couple of years. I have the RME ADI-2 DAC, LCD-X 2021, HE6SE V2, among some other things. I wanted a bassy closed back, knowing that I'll have to sacrifice some soundstage and detail. I got a Denon D9200. I hated them, and returned them. Last week I got the Cadenda, I didn't know what to expect. I was wowed. They were everything I wanted the Denon to be. Just goes to show you don't have to spend a ton for pure musical enjoyment. For most people, they will probably sound better then 99.5% of systems they heard before. Especially the bass. Most domestic hifis don't reproduce bass like that.
dude , nobody talks about this anymore but shop around on audio technica . I have a closed back 660 version that has the large bass drivers in them , and after breaking them in really good and upgraded the cable , they kick ass , and do not require a ton of power to do so. Technica has a ton of models , but focus on the bass port ones. They can handle however much power you put to them also , you will blow your ears out before you hear any distortion or anything like that , which means they upscale very well.
Question, why is everyone in the comments defending their expensive IEMs? I mean, if we as audiophiles are indeed the more mature crowd and know what's good and what isn't, why do people feel they need to defend against what 'general consumers' think? This speaks volumes about how confident people are with their purchases. While you think about that, I'm gonna grab some Candenzas to add to my collection.
I haven't found the Audiophile community to be particularly mature.
They can't trust their ears and need to justify their purchases. Just be honest with yourself, we all like different sounds, it's ok to return the $5000 IEM that everyone is praising.
To prevent the second hand market price crashing 🤣
It's like gambling. They have spent too much and they thought would just be a shame for them to spend that much for something isn't good. They have to praise them to prove that they aren't idiots.
Or maybe the other way round their IEMs are actually good!
Remember audiophiles. It's ok to be wrong
They're defending because they are afraid the price of the IEM is gonna fall
Especially in the second hand market 😂
I like your recap at the end, Chrono. The hobby is at a point where "good" or clean reproduction of your music library is attainable for cheaper than ever before. In spite of massive growth in the budget IEM space, though, there is still a prevalent bias for more expensive gear, not necessarily because it sounds better than the cheap stuff (though in some cases it certainly does) but because it feels more premium. We saw this with the release of Project Red, where people were upset that Crin's IEM was priced at only $55. As Crin said, he could have charged $200 for the same sound quality and a nicer build. But he couldn't bring himself to do that, knowing that he could achieve his target frequency response with cheaper materials and charge $55. In the grand scheme of things, there are few IEMs that are worth their MSRP for improvements in tuning and technicalities over the options available at under $100, and typically it's the hardcore enthusiasts who find these price increases to be worth it. So for anyone who just wants a good-sounding product, they can get that for under $100 easily, even under $50. But for people who enjoy the hobby and like to explore different tunings and appreciate subtle differences in technicalities, it makes sense to explore different options at different price points to find something that matches their niche preferences.
This was a cool video, I love seeing the other side in what people think of some of these. It provides a bit of a sanity check to the hobby, knowing that there really is a difference in sound.
Also, seeing the IE200s squarely at the bottom was a little funny since they're my daily drivers for pretty much everything. I wear iems for like 10-12 hours a day so these really work for me just because of the sheer comfort, even better with some foam tips. Though their base tuning is really shrill and very thin, with some good eq you can get them to sound phenomenal! If you are looking at these, don't be discouraged by the initial sound as it can be changed, if you really want comfort, these are by far the most comfortable iems money can buy.
Grace might be able nail the prices but man Hans has a measuring rig level hearing. :D he's spot on with the frequency response.
Ikr
i honestly really like this video, as someone who recently bought a few budget IEMs this made me feel a bit validated so to speak. when reviewers talk about IEMs i struggle understanding what they are saying but hearing your friends talk about them made me understand and granted the current IEMs i own is the 7hz zero, kiwi ears cadenza and now the hbb x blon z300 and hearing your friends talk about the kiwi i felt so validated like i really like the cadenza and hearing them like felt like a victory for me lol i like the cadenza even more than the 7hz zero i kinda dont like how the 7hz fits it hurts a bit its not something i can wear for long periods of time, where as like the cadenza its comfy the music sounds so good and its just overall really good, but now i got the hbb x blon n im trying this one out and im stuggling if i like it more than the cadenza the feel of it is so nice its got a nice little weight to it and i noticed certain sounds are louder n maybe clearer but i cant quiet say if i like it more than the cadenza i do like the weight of it more tho.
For a first IEM what's better in your opinion? Blon z300 or Cadenza?
A lot of music out there was not recorded to showcase stage and technicalities of the gear. For these I put IEM comfort at the top and tuning next. But there are musical pieces that benefit from highly technical gear. I can tolerate even some discomfort to listen to these. An audiophile is someone who can pick the proper/matching gear for a particular piece of music for the most enjoyment. Cadenza is one of those gems that can handle gracefully multiple genres. A piece recorded with elevated highs can make expensive IEM fail and sound well on an otherwise unimpressive IEM.
Great advert for the Kiwi Ears, I've been on the fence of adding them to my collection but this might just tip me.
Looks like beryllium drivers are pretty good, I really liked aune E1
I have them (and other more expensive IEMs) and Cadenzas are... Acceptable. Just solid all around. Controlled bass is a plus. Definitely a no-brainer for a measly $35.
@@s1lverhand_ they'd be disgusted
Chrono, good to see you in NY, and great video again with your friends! We (the reviewers) are so often all over the place with our opinions, it's quite funny. It's not that complicated for almost every other human listening to music. In addition, the high-end IEMs can really take some getting used to and a lot of time to appreciate. That said, in today's market, none of them above approx. 250 can justify their price tag based on $$/performance ratios. The point of diminishing returns is almost at floor level for IEMs now - mind-boggling progress!
Great video. Unbiased and non-Audiophile (normal person's) honest impressions. Makes you think about the hype and price point of the supposed "audiophile" grade iems.
They had that reaction (so did I) because they didn't have their preference yet, they will discover what they like and dislike, and appreciate higher sound quality the more they listen. And a lot of IEMs are super overpriced. Both things are true.
@@ROCKSTAR3291 The first point is cope, the second point is true.
Audiophiles love snake oil and perceptions are fallible and prone to biases and placebo, it is what it is
@@Gabrielnfs Both statements are true and valid. It can take a considerable amount of time to identify your preferred sound signature and distinguish between worthwhile investments and gimmicks. In my personal experience, it took me more than 10 trials of headphones to find my ideal sound signature. While some audiophiles focus on acquiring the newest and most advanced equipment, others are satisfied with headphones like HD650 or Sundara even after testing several high-end models.
@@ROCKSTAR3291 Lol imagine buying 10 different headphones to find your preferred signature when EQ exists
You just enjoy spending money haha
@@Gabrielnfs Lots of people don't like to EQ, some headphones are not good with EQ. And I didn't buy 10 headphones, I demoed them. Only 3 headphones in my possession.
This is proof that tonality is everything
i think i remember in a currawong video with headphones a lot of people put meze empyrean first. maybe theres something with first impressions perferring warmth. is cadenza most adherent to the target given how treble light they are?
@@MrWizardjr9 I’m more surprised how people didn’t like the Meteor. It has a more dark sound with emphasized mid bass than mid treble and upper mid ranges.
@@MrWizardjr9 warmth is often categorized with relaxed signatures so ofcourse, plus for mainstream peeps who got used to transducers that takes advantage of bass to hide incoherencies it would be improved nature to them.
@@dbean5174 how I wish he can add xenns top to the list. That's my next buy though.
@@zelven6109 you might be on to something with familiarity. I remember the custom keyboard community being aghast about the LTT switch comparison video where the mx browns overwhelmingly won the tactile category when it is one of the most hated switches in the community lol.
I love this video. Sound signature is all about personal preference. I LOVE seeing excessively priced items being ranked way below much more appropriately priced items. I LOVE this.
In all fairness the super expensive ones are not only well tuned but also have very high quality material and amazing drivers. Which objectively push harder and being out more detail
Although subjectively you may hate them because it's not your taste
Can't agree more with the cadenza price guesses though😂. It actually felt fire to me in my first trial
Nice vid but you should put up the prices of the eim when they use them so that the audience knows what price range they are listening too if we aren’t already familiar with the iem
agreed i have the same sentiment. I think its possible to repeat the price with the actual intended sound signature of each iem, i found myself googling the prices of the iems on a separate browser (with several browsers open just to be reminded on the price) and the type of sound signature they have. it would put their subjective opinions into better context
I had a general idea of price ranges, but I agree it would be better to clearly inform the audience to put the reactions in context.
Definitely. Personally I knew the prices and the FR graphs of all IEMs in the video by heart, but even though I'm not that much into this whole thing anymore I still may be considered a HUGE portable audio nerd. And this exactly the kind of video that should be aimed towards your average Joe at least just as much as towards folks like me.
I had ZERO idea about the price range so had no idea what was what
Would it have killed you guys to add the price of each headphone as they were being tested? I have no idea what these are as there are probably more headphone brands than energy drink brands in the world.
Since many asked for the prices, I made a price list at September 2024 if you want to follow along :
- Moondrop Blessing 2 Dusk: 330$
- Symphonium Ausio Meteor 600$
- Kiwi Hear Cadenza : 35$
- Sennheiser IE-200 : 149$
- 64 Audio U12t : 1999$
Interesting video! Good shout about IEMs being mostly about right tonality and comfort (getting a seal is of utmost importance). I wonder what was their reaction after being told how much the u12t costs!
Comfort especially is severly underrated. I've gotten the Truthear Hola a few weeks back and been using it over my MUCH more expensive IEMs, just because of perfect fit and light weight in my ears. I just EQ 3k and 200hz down a bit and I can litteraly listen to them all day.
This was very surprising. Maybe it's the bass and warmth doing the trick for Cadenza. Would love if next time you can try the test with some FatFreq iems, would be interesting how your friends regard those.
Great video this morning ☕️☕️
I’ve had the pleasure of introducing people to IEM’s ..people who don’t have anything more than ear buds…if that …And no matter what I give them to try ..their mind is blown !
Now as good as most over ear headphones are ..they can never have that deep impactful bass and sense of sound that a decent iem will have at a faction of the price of even mid tier headphones…and even then .
Have a great Easter 🐣
I want you guys to just feed Grace more IEMs/headphones/source gear whatever and ask her to make review shorts.
Grace has a natural talent for this kind of thing, I trust her and Golden Ears over on Gizaudio more than any other reviewers at this point lol. My next IEM purchase will be the Cadenzas. Thanks guys!
So many one-driver inexpensive IEMs that are tuned well lately. $40 and under is full of good stuff. Find a good fit and look as long as they have good rating. The Truthear Hola are another $18 cheapie that does well.
The hola, and the moondrop Chu 2s are pretty great. Plus the tangzu waner.
@@Rabs1 I got the Wan'er along with a few others recently. Not really liking it. I think some have said to break them in for a good amount of time to tame the highs. Going to try that.
@@johnmcvicker6728I put Spinfit CP100 on the WANER and it fits well now. to break them in I had an old phone play with them plugged in until the battery ran out, did that for days.
In my opinion, audiophile now a days talk only about drivers, technicalities, graphs, tuning ect, nobody don’t feel the music and how pleasing anymore. Thats why we should do blind testing with normal people.
You have some really pretty friends. Amazing lighting.
I have only listened to sets that cost up to 80 usd and that is the T3+ one thing I liked about them is that they are fun but they don't disappoint on what they deliver and they are my benchmark now on the sound sig and comfort since if I want and upgrade from T3+ i'd get the same sound sig but more resolving and have more techs with alongside the very comfortable 3d printed resin shell.
T3+, they are just very COMFORTABLE, I'm actually considering getting the panda just for the shell but it'll keep me wanting for the sound improvement.
Kiwi Cadenza is a killer! I own one and love its energy and tonality.
It would be really useful if you put the values up as well as the names of the earphones so people who aren't familiar with all the various IMS can understand what they're watching. Great video though thanks.
So nice meeting you in person at CanJam!
Top picks are harman target centric tuned no surprise there.
@@migracing8232 harman IE is too shouty for me i prefer vsdf. and harman OE has too much bass for me but otherwise i like harman OE much more than harman IE
My 10 year old IEMs kicked the bucket. As a lifelong musician I needed new ones. Couldn't find anything good sounding here (testing all brands I mostly heard bass and shrill highs to which my body reacted horribly) and was referred to Chi-Fi. Took me 4 weeks to get to know the topic (I am no audiophile, but as a musician you have an ear for music I guess) and the products, got myself a Truthear Hexa and am blown away. Exactly what I wanted sound signature wise and all the rest is just fantastic. No need to get anything more expensive or search for something better. So it really doesn't suprise me that your friends are having a blast with a 35 USD set. :)
Now do a follow-up video to check if they prefer the Cadenza or Senn IE 900.
This would be a great way to check if per their opinion higher price products may be worth it.
I'm sure they will preffer cadenzas over IE 900. This whole review is really weird.
It is very important. Please state what genre (or tracks) they listened to. The Kiwi Ears has subdued high and rich bass. Ofc I don't like the U12t either way.
What genre, which tracks, what volume, what tips, what insertion depth, what preference, what ear canal shape and resonance peak and this is why reviews of iems are almost pointless.
Apparently you don't need to go far from your budget to have the best iem experience especially if you have a normal ears..i like this type of blind listen for normal/regular listeners..make a part 2 of this video man, the one that you use your regular phone and a simple dongle maybe..this is awesome.
Just bought the cadenza based on your vid ,I do feel that yoi can get awesome ear phones for little money nowadays .
I wish you'd show results at the end with the price guesses against actual price and tally their rankings. I know you said it's not a scientific experiment, but it would be easier for simpletons like me to compare results because by the end I'd forgotten details how they stacked up.
Did you use Adobes AI for the microphone audio in the beginning and the very end? You can hear the AI just so you know but, it sounds very clear and the average person wouldn't notice unless they were listening very closely. Great video!
Okay what the fuck I thought I was tripping but yeah I noticed it too, it sounds like an AI
Stepping up to the 50 dollar range is a huge difference. You can actually pick out all of the instruments. The lead voice is actually separated from the track. It's worth it imo.
For your information, iem’s are designed like reference monitors, in order to not color the music, they are designed to operate on a flat response. You have work harder to sound better. Another thing, rarely do I see a pro use both at the same time. I use one for just my vocals and keys and a wedge/floor monitor as a side fill with everyone in it so I can gauge myself on harmony.
I collect inexpensive iem's with unusually good sound, like the kiwi ears, its a rewarding hobby as you can bang in your kz Pr1s and laugh at the dudes with their sundaras and such that you cant go anywhere with.. and you are 80% there, for less then 100 bucks. I have 30 dollar headphones that are just brilliant..but you do need to invest in a decent dap or dongle dap with balanced output. Good show, I like this experiment, it proves a point. Most people cant spend 1000 on a set of iem's, and nowdays with chiifi growing up, you dont need to. Something like those kiwi ears did not exist 5 years ago.
they all picks them cause they was dipped in resin and looked expensive , its the same with food if you haven't made it yourself , the getter it looks the better it also tasted usually.
and possible the in rar fit too lacked on some of them, ontop of in my expirence, if you have a flat natal music speaker, you rally need to crank the volume up for non audiofiles, cause most of them value bass and thumping midrange the most
My fav IEMS atm are the Simgot em6l that I picked up on sale recently. They are jsut amazing all arounders and great for gaming(tarkov/wow). I also own tin t2/crin zero blues/chu II/Kiwi Ears Cadenza/TANGZU Wan’er S.G as well as a lot of headphones ranging from hd 58x to 1990 pros.
Meteor my beloved! 😭
I sold my cadenza cause I didn’t love them… do I need to re buy them and give them another try?!
No!
They all judged by tonality which is important for a novice like them. Cadenza reign Supreme lol
Bro I feel you.
No, different ppl different preferences. Dont let them influence you if you know what you like. I dont love the cadencas either, i enjoyed my hexas way more.
Very entertaining, nicely edited. This should be serialised!
I would guess it has to do with IEMs as a platform benefits from a bit lower trebble. Ear piercing sounds are going to feel much worse inside of your ear than a pair of over ear headphones with similar signature. Probably going to get those Kiwis, for the price it seems really promising.
11:30 "Something's a bit wrong!"
What's wrong is how IEM companies mark up the prices 10-100x if not more, and you end up with trash quality IEMs that people are buying solely for how they look. That's what I noticed at least.
Does anyone know the color-changing lamp in the background at 0:01 min that's attached to an arm? Is that even a lamp? Is it a mike? Might be both. In any case, it's similar to the one DMS has on his desk in some reviews. I need this thing in my life, and you might too.
Got it, it's a HyperX QuadCast, in case anyone else was wondering. Still looking for DMS's lamp though.
@@phonomat1587 the lamp you're looking for, is it "Philips Hue Play Light Bar"?
Thats a fucking microphone
Are they listening to the same tracks between IEM's though? Because if they happen to listen to a track with good dynamic range on one pair, and then happen to listen to something completely brickwalled on another, that's going to impact their experience massively, regardless of IEM. This impacts your sound more than your amp or dac would. Even if your audio is super high res, if it's compressed into oblivion, that won't matter much sadly.
8:30 Heh, well that would be no problem for most adults. A Quick Google (tm) says most people over 18 can't hear 18kHz anymore. I'm 37 and can manage to hear juuuuust about up to 14 900 Hz, a bit higher than average for my age. (There are plenty of tests available on RUclips for example).
It's sort of interesting to think that I'd guess most people who are recording, mixing and mastering the biggest budget records around are probably 35+ years old. If they were, say, 50 years old, they could on average hear up to around 12 kHz. But then again, they must have enough experience to know their job and be able to account for that. Or, perhaps they use younger test subjects to verify what they're doing?
TIn hifi T2 has proven time and again to me that good tuning doesnt cost a million dollars
I am always amazed at how good they sound whenever i pick them up to use them with my ipad
if they only had some bass.... they would be perfect. idk what it is but something in the way the t2 reproduce voices is a level above anything ive ever heard.
Awesome to hear, i bought mine years ago but one side went kaput, considering getting another pair, how do they compare to modern iems?
@@robertduluth8994 Hey there
I recently picked up the Linsoul ZiiGaat NUO, been really enjoying them
They are very lightweight and comfortable to wear, come with an excellent cable
Warmish sounding with definitely enough bass
Give them a try
This really speaks volumes to how important tuning an iem is... Cadenza's rockat $35!!! and I own $600 iem's.
Nice video and idea...and some amazing results!
Guessing the Cadenzas must scale well with the very good sources used :)
This throws more weight to Crinacle type reviews :)
Surprised the meteors didn’t fare better, HBB favorite, though I haven’t heard any of these :)
Excellent video and nice friends :)
What should I get for acoustic piano playing? I'm not with any band...no microphones. Just want to know what I sound like when I'm playing.
Serious question, is it a thing these days, perhaps a fashion fad to brush ones eyebrows upwards in an unkempt way? I don't remember seeing this phenomenon prior to 3 years ago.
Interesting about the Meteor, they all had basically the complete opposite impressions of what most reviewers say
I can't stand the meteor or really anything from symphonium. The meteor in particular does not have anywhere near enough ear gain for me. Makes it sound muddy.
the color blend of the clip just like the interstellar movie, loved it
So, are the Cadenza's actually that good?
this is such a great video. wtg. especially when ive found it while my cadenza should arrive in a couple of days.
I've been saying forever the U12t are overhyped for the extreme price. I haven't heard the rest of these so I don't know if the Kiwi Ears has a huge caveat/flaw that these newbies couldn't hear, but the U12t is for sure not worth its price tag.
I read up on the Cadenzas, and they must've heard the rich bass (which also could have to do with test tracks played). They probably weren't paying attention to tonality or imaging. I still have to emphasize I returned my U12t and will never buy one again. If you want to spend over $1k, definitely don't spend it on the U12t.
no iem above 100 dollars is "worth the price". theres diminishing returns for everything in life but when people are passionate about something they want the best despite that.
.. I was so convinced about the Linsoul Kiwi Ears Cadenzas that I just ordered a couple pairs from Amazon. I mean geez $30/ea .. How can you go wrong??!!
Especially after the nearly $1,000 I just dropped on a tube DAC Amp and HiFiman XS Edition this is pennies. People on Hi-Fi just literally brainwashed themselves and the believing whatever the hell they want, and can't see the forest through the trees.
@@DJaquithFLHow do they compare to the planars?
@@hypnogri5457 .. Planars aren't all that great and some of them are actually pretty bad. It's all on the tuning and people's ability to hear, and this is coming from someone whose daily driver is a HiFiMan Edition XS. The nearly insignificant distortion difference between Planar and Dynamic is indistinguishable by most people, again, it's mostly in a tuning.
@@MrWizardjr9 this very expensive iem's are not mass market stuff. just search online videos of how this things are made each thing has to be tested individually and there are even specialists with microscopes to work under it. this is because high end iem's are mostly R&D stuff, not mass market stuff like earpods etc.
Great, now I'm questioning whether I need or not to get another budget pair and get the cadenzas 😭
Same ;_; and I have a pair of Hexas already
Brilliant vid. Made up my mind for me about what in-ears to get. When 3 such diverse people all define them as 'best' (and despite the notation about 'comfort' being one of the defining reasons) I think that is enough for me to start with these. I am pretty sure I will be pleased. Great vid, and even the linked vid simply confirmed my choice. there was one other, but frankly it looked ugly so, maybe that was the final tipping point? They LOOK great too!
Are the cadenza's really that good?
Eh i personaly find them bland, but that is just personal preference. I like treble and the Cadenza doesn't really give me nice treble. Bass is nice and EQ exists.
According to you, which is the a better Iem than Sennheiser IE900? Is it Thieaudio Prestige or something even better?
I think you should put the price next to the name of the in-ear up on the screen.
what a superb review !
Yoo I got the same Zenitsu T shirt!!! Interesting take on those IEMs. Great video!!!
Can you imagine a revolution in graphics cards and performance for similar pricing budgetary options? Like 4k 240 hz capable graphic cards at like $300….
Should've had them test more distinct but popular iems like the Timeless, OH10, T3+, QKZ HBB etc. and throw endgame iems into the mix like the Maestro SE or the Elysian Annihilators.
Would've been a lot more interesting to see their reaction to these significant changes but also those price points. Blessing 2 Dusk was a good add though given it's popularity.
Agree, but most endgame iem sounds so flat tho
I own a LARGE collection of IEMs and headphones. From 20 to 2000$+.
My most expensive IEMs are only 1000$ though.
The Cadenza is one of my favorite IEMs ever. I got a pair for my GF ans she absolutely loves them.
They're soooo comfy, light, you're not scared of breaking them so you can go out and throw Them in a bag without stressing out... The sound is top tier for the money... You can't go wrong.
What 1000 dollar iem do you own?
@@theinceptor3672 Monarch MK2
@@nicolasaudy6250 when compared to the prices going above, as in from 20 dollars to 1000 dollars, where do you see the price point get diminishing value in return, as in (more money doesn't necessarily mean same amount of increased sound quality) and which price point,(or iem) you think is the best value.
@@theinceptor3672 Starts diminishing the most around $300+. Diminishes more and more from there.
I'd say the best value is either in the 300 or 500 range if you want something that performs the best for your money.
@@nicolasaudy6250 What would be your top pick in those range
Please list the earphones in the show notes for reference
i think its also good to put in the description as well for the msrp price and a quick blurb of the each the iems just for references. It was quite confusing watching the video and having a reference how their opinions were either similar to or different from the intended sound signature of the each iem and the prices
Im at 6:55 and Im surprised that they appreciate more the Cadenza rather than the Blessing 2
The Cadenza's are one of my favourites too regardless of price
IEMs bypass pinna, so the sound preference is much more varied.
After spending 20-30k for hps and IEMs last years I'm driving with the Zero 2 and Isine 10 (set to Harman target).
More videos like these ! I've watched it many times lol
which songs do they hear pls ?
Honest and possibly helpful feedback (to make the video more digestable) i think it would be helpful to have a little subtitle on the bottom that reference the price of each earphone (during each segment for context for the viewer), each person is discussing about and a little "blurb" with context to how they were suppose to sound. in relation to what each person is hearing. For example if someone were to say something sounds brittle, (perhaps theres some truth what they are saying, maybe the treble is too emphasized). for example Ex the blessing 2 is a bright sounding earphone with a subdue bass (or even have a small corner with a screenshot of the frequency response) so to have some context. Also at the end when they rank their earphones have the prices listed with the names of each earphone for context (easier to see perhaps its not price that influence their choices, or maybe they just have "expensive" tastes. It would shorten the views and make it easier for the viewers to see whats happening
Love grace explanation .. so simple ..
Wait.. so how much do they cost?
That was great! Honest opinions.
im not surprised most average people prefer sound that has extra sound signature rather than audiophile favorite neutral sound signature
the #1 cadenza for 30 bucks are very similar to harman and thus they are very neutral
someone tells me I'm wearing $6000 cans and I sit very still and ask you to please take them off my head lol
Fantastic video. No bias at all
More iem testing vid like this pls
Nice shirt! was it a coinicidence or planned for season 3? 😄
Nice video. I feel like IEMs are leading the charge for best value for money when it comes to SQ if you don't mind having things in your ears. Chord Mojo 2 plus Cadenza would be a killer combo for new audiophiles without breaking the bank. A top system that is attenable even for students with part-time jobs.
@Silver Joystix I get it. You are with the spend the money on the IEM/HP first crowd and I get it. I was that guy. After maybe 6 DACs and 10 HPs later I have an opposite view. Spend the most budget on the DAC/Amp first and rest on best IEM you can afford. Good luck on your audiophile and enjoy your music.
Forget the Mojo, get a Truthears Shio at most.
@@TheKent2288 so you’re saying don’t get the 64 audio u12t? Bad choice? Go cheap?
@silverjoystix4696I knew nothing about audio when I spent $1000 on the Shure SE846 in 2015 lol
Got the funds from my part time during high school
May I know the Audio file they're listening too. Thanks ahead!
So you do a tip fitting for every testee?
No matter what other people say. After you spent too much money on any product, you will always find placebo reasons to justify the purchase 😊
How much is too much is completely subjective.
i like what i like i dont need other people to like the same things i do.
@@jefryions5657 Of course it is subjective. But how many people reflect objectively after they realize the made a bad purchase?
@@chiniakowski thats why i try things and make a decision before i buy something lol
@@chiniakowski so you understand that a bad purchase is not based on price, correct?
This might as well be an ad for cadenza
$40 is really expensive for the cheapest option when you consider that some of the most used iems used to be the freebies we got with phones before companies got too stingy for that, or some $20 random pair of Sony's. Nowadays you have pretty solid options for half the price of rhe the cheapest tier
Well that would need a more in-depth analysis, like with more people, in various situations (crowded places, with more "real-life" situation of using an IEM, etc.), and with audio spectrum stuff, BUT… This is already a massive hint about prices range correlation to quality to see the U12t that are 2000€+ (!!!!!???) being topped by the cheap Cadenza (-50€).