@@Anonymous-cb3cy the audio quality is pretty good, but these iems have a common issue of channel imbalance. Suddenly one of the sides will have a significantly lower volume and there is no permanent fix to it (other than replacing filters I guess). Same problem is there with Aria as well.
For anyone starting if you don’t know which sound signature is your preference, just buy a cheap pair that has similar sound profile like the one you want. Something like Salnotes zero 2, Moondrop chu, Tangzu wan’er and the list go on, just get these and have a sample of which profile would fit your taste. When you get your preferred sound signature your upgrade path is pretty clear tbh. A lot of time these cheap pair perform so good you don’t even need an upgrade…
YES! That is an excellent point and I should have learned that lesson earlier on. Sometimes it's OK to spend a small amount on a new hobby until you know what you really want. Honestly my ears probably aren't trained enough for critical listening.
Facts! Don't fall for hype. If you know what you like and pay attention, you can find a ton of ultra cheap, ultra good IEMS that most reviewers ignore or downplay how good they are. I have an Artti T10 which is amazingly good and also many $2-10 sets which, I love just as much. I hate some popular sets too, like Waner and love some unpopular sets like ZEX. I just returned FUDU and Delci, I have cheap sets just as good and better!
What helped me get started was buying cheap IEMs, while on sale and with coupons on Aliexpress. That help me know what was the sound signatures I preferred the most for my music library. When climbing to mid if level, those cheapies helped realize how diminishing returns come into play, so I even ended up returning 2 400 USD IEMs that were not even worth the spending- to my ears - . At the end the money saved helped also explore tip rolling, to enhance my existing collection.
This really should have been my way into the hobby. I got blinded seeing awesome reviews and ranking lists for the Variations. Now I only listen to the Variations every now and then, while I listen to IEMs that are $400 USD cheaper than the Variations. Just to shows that you like what you like.
One thing I've learned is that it's important to consider the limitations of you listening abilities and where your diminishing returns are. My example is, going from a $40 IEM to a $300 one was a step up, but not the huge chasm I was hoping. I doubt I'll buy anything more expensive and enjoy what I have as I don't think buying something higher end will give me enough listening value to justify. Honestly wish I upgraded to an iem in the $100 to $200 range.
This is the right attitude to have in the hobby. If you can't hear the difference between a $40 and a $300 IEM, than is it a reasonable $260 upgrade? I would argue to save those $260 and go buy some music with it, or upgrade something else in the audio chain.
Absolutely! Tip rolling was the first tweaking I did within the hobby when I got my IEMs. Then I started tip rolling my TWS. So yes, the pursuit for audio perfection doesn't end.
What’s also crazy is that you never really know your preferred tuning until you have tried them all. I listen to reggaeton, hip hop and R&B; so you’d think I would like a v shape or neutral w/ bass boost. But I actually enjoy an analytical neutral (neutral with a hint of bright). My favorite iem right now is the blessing 3.
And that's why at the end of the day you just have to trust your ears. Congrats, I'm glad you found your favorite set! I have heard nothing but good things about the Blessing 3.
I recently got into IEMs and I've had two big issues. First was the same as you. I grew up in the 90s and like my bass to be big and impactful and haven't found something for that yet without eq'ing. Second, I have small ears and NO ONE gives nozzle sizes. Manufacturers and reviewers alike never talk about it but it's a huge issue for me. The only pair of iems I've bought that I actually enjoyed the sound of were so big that I sent them back because 20min of listening was just painful.
I've tried looking for a nozzle size database myself and found nothing. Even searching IEM specs for sizes was hit and miss. In your case, try buying from retailers that have a good return policy. Be aware that you might have to pay restocking fees and/or return shipping fees.
Thanks for the tips. I got mostly lucky. I got my 7hz legatos and I'm like 95% satisfied with them. I have 5 Iems total and I agree. I find the various descriptions to be more confusing and inconsistent. Unfortunately I don't have a preferred genre so I needed something that is a little of everything. Also I learned I do like W1 Spinfits. Though they do make a terrible bending plastic sound if I yawn or move my head. But they definitely made the bass better. Another tip is about the tips. Make sure you try all of the included tips before deciding if the IEM is trash or not. They do make a difference.
Nice I looked into the Legatos myself but I decided on the Focus EDMs that I got second hand. As everyday carry IEMs, they get the job done. And yes I agree, descriptions are just marketing methods. And tips are SUPER IMPORTANT for the best possible sound AND comfort!
My wife complains I listen to too much music, she’s more of a quiet setting person. Once I learned about IEM’s, I went into crisis mode. I’m 48 and I’ve not explored this realm. What the heck k is wrong with me. I’m stuck in the old cheap headphones. I’m overwhelmed and loaded anything commenters and reviewers suggest. So my Amazon basket is over $1000.00. So I’m reviewing my list. I’m a listener of many genres of music, 80’s yaht rock, heavy metal, trance, rap, country, big bands, smooth jazz. You get the point. I NEED to dial it down to my preferred listening taste. Thank you immensely for the advice.
Nice! I'm glad I was able to help a bit or at least give you an idea on where to start on your journey. I come from the Sony Walkman, to Discman, to iPod generation so it was only a matter of time that I discover great quality portable audio. Let me know what you end up buying!
Great vid. I went through similar tribulations as you. Hearing what you like it sounds like you’d love the Doscincos ($269) or Estrellas ($300, if you want more treble and wider stage). Both slam and sound like $500 sets. I noticed the Scarlet Minis in the beginning. I have them and many other basshead sets. But the Ziigaats get my time.
I have heard nothing but good things about those Doscincos, especially on the Head-Fi forums. I definitely need to check those out. The Estrellas sound intriguing as well.
Back in high school in the early 90s i lived in a town 45 minutes from anywhere. The cable carrier didnt even have mtv. I had to "blind buy" cds, sometimes on cover art alone, to find new music to listen to. Sometimes i got lucky, like when i found black sabbath black sabbath (that was on cassette) but most of the time stuff i got was meh. Had to blind buy my way into iems, although nowadays you have a hundred people on youtube persuading you. I found i am still influenced by cover art as i find iem backs pieces of art. Just got into it during prime days. My advice is at a minimum buy a good dac with high enough output voltage and mw. I recommend the ka17 since it has a separate power input and can still be used on the go. Tip rolling is real is advice 2. 3. You might not like what you think and vice versa. Good vid! As fyi- i have pula02, tangzu heyday, and juzear 61. Wanted to try different driver types and arrangements. Cant tell a ton of difference in them. I bought Singola and magic one for my bro with fc4 dac. He likes the singola for games and the magic ones for music and movies
Variations were my first IEM purchase along with DAP iBasso DX240. I listened to them in the store and I decided to buy them. However, after longer period I noticed that Variations is not suited for my library of classic rock, rock & pop music. Variations push mids into back too much for my liking. Also there is a difference listening to them on DX240 and iPhone 12. These two devices have completely different sound signature. If you split the sound spectrum into half, iPhone lacks weight in lower half. Bass sounds thinner. For longer period of time I had love and hate relationship with Variations. That is until I purchased replaceable AMP8 MK2s for DX240 and to my surprise Variations started sounding different, more enjoyable. That dip in the mid section became unnoticeable. There was a time when I wanted to sale them but right now I do enjoy them. They have one more characteristic that my other IEMs do not have. Variations can emphasize and bring in the front instruments that other IEMs keep hidden or blended with other instruments. Also, one time when I listened to Alanis Morissette, I had this distinct feeling that she is standing only 2 feet away from me. Like physically, she is standing and singing in front of me. This a very unique IEM.
That's what always intrigued me about the iBasso DAPs. I would love the option to be able to swap out amps to change the sound. Although nowadays I might be good with just trying to EQ the IEMs.
@@sevensoulcostanza unfortunately EQ is not effective in this case. AMP changes characteristics of the device. It’s like having completely different audio source. EQ cannot replicate this.
I got lucky with my 2nd iem blind buy which was an open box Monarch Mk2. A few years later it's still close to my ideal tuning. I also enjoy tunings similar to it with varying amounts of upper treble and bass/mid bass depending on my mood.
I bought like a dozen 20-50 buck "budget king" IEMs when I first started lol. It also took me awhile to realize what's best for my library, which is electronic music. So now I have mostly V shaped sets too, like the Sony IER-Z1R and Sennheiser IE900.
Now that's smart! I should've started slowly in the hobby and bought budget IEMs to get started. The thing is I don't know what I don't know so a $50 IEM might have been mind blowing for me! But the researcher in me told me to go big and get a jewel as my first IEM. Hard lessons learned. How do you like the Z1R and IE900? As a bass head I've always wanted to hear the Z1R but it's out of my budget right now.
@@sevensoulcostanza Z1R doesn’t have a huge amount of bass, but the quality and impact are some of the very best, still wouldn’t call it a basshead IEM though, more of a balanced v-shaped signature with an emphasis on bass. IE900 can be considered a basshead set, it’s a true V shaped sound with lots of bass and treble.
I recently bought my first IEM Moondrop CHU2 and I wish i had seen your video earlier. I am noway an audiophile yet and I am a noob. Thanks a lot for thse great points and will make sure to co aider these all for my next purchase in future. Dont get me wrong Moondrop CHU2 is a good budget IEM but unfortunately it is not comfortable with my ears with no matter what ear tips I try them with. Tha k you for this honest review.
The right ear tips are crucial for finding the most comfortable fit for IEMs. I feel that tip rolling could be a never ending path especially as you add more IEMs to your collection.
Well i have a moondrop variations and also listen mostly to hip hop and r&b and i love how it sounds. Prefer it over the ikko oh10, s12 pro, legato, ea500, moondrop may and other sets that i have. They have a good amount of bass for my taste, and as it's focused on subbass it still sounds clean, while the other sets that i have with more bass and midbass sound muddy and not clear. But yeah to each their own.
I'm not saying the Variations are a bad set. I still have mine and I still listen to them every now and then. But what I really crave is having that subwoofer in your ear feeling and when I heard it for the first time, I was completely blown away. I just think that after I compared other sets to the Variations, that I became familiar with what I truly wanted out of my IEMs.
i made few mistakes myself too like blind buy but it was also a very good learning experience now i know how to pick iems i would like but yes the comfort is Number One everything is secondary to this Biggest comfort wise factors are the right eartips for this specific iem and your ear different iems need different eartips and of course cables you need light, very soft cable without memory and microphonics usually best cables are 8 and 16 Core cables and no you don't need to spend alot on cables to get quality cables plus usually the more expensive the cable. the heavier it is with more memory and microphonics exactly what you don't want to find what IEMs you like watch reviews and graphs and read reviews but don't take everything as gospel this is after you find your preferred tuning according to what music you like then buy few cheaper iems $50~$200 and you will then know what to look for and you can buy more expensive if you want or just buy the right ones you don't need to buy expensive iems to enjoy music even $50 iems are more then enough
Also to consider connection type like mmcx vs 2pin. Looks like mmcx is going to die and it is difficult to find them, but good to know to avoid those ... Also you can buy any iem(to find out if you are a v-shape lover or neutral seeker) as a starting point with a half of your budget and return to the same question in a half of year or so, but with some experience already...
I've only had experience with 2pin so far so I guess I've lucked out. But I wouldn't mind owning some MMCX connector IEMs to have some experience with them. And yes, I 100% agree with you. I went big on my first IEM purchase, when I should've started with more budget friendly options to get some experience. Especially nowadays, there's tons of Chi-fi on the market that seems to be getting better every year with the best bang for buck.
I agree that only way to know if you like an iem (or headphone) is to listen to it for couple of days/weeks. Even a short term tryout might be missleading because of environment sounds or different hearing of the specific day. And yes reviewers I am watching now just as an entertainment source. Latest example is comparison between newly coming Binary Dynaquatro and Juzear 61t, one reviewer says one has vocals forward, other says oposite, one reviewer says one has stronger punch, other says oposite. So it leaves me to get both to test and sell or get none.
Yes and from what I have seen so far is that most retailers have a 30 day return policy which is more than enough time to get familiar with a set. The only problem is that you might have to pay for restocking fees and return shipping. And maybe custom fees if it's an international retailer.
blind buying is actually part of the hobby. thats if you like all kinds of sound signatures. and if they are cheap enough. the main issue for not trying IEMs for me is the fit. some just dont fit me right.
That's very true. If you think about it blind buying applies to many purchases; just got to make sure that return policy is good! But yes, fit for me is huge.
bought ea500lm based on the H.Y.P.E and was left disappointed. felt all instruments so far away, staging toooo wide, very bright on treble and lack of warmth. lesson learned...
Hopefully you can return still, but then you'd have to deal with restocking and shipping fees. I feel your pain though. Have you tried tip rolling to see if that helps?
I was about to comment the same thing. The treble on these IEMs is unbearable for me. I got Truthear Zero Red after EA500LM because the sound signature is bass boosted neutral and I’m happy so far. Now, my eyes are on Aful Explorer since its bass is much better than the Reds with even smoother treble. I may have wasted some money on my journey but it helped me find out what I liked or not.
@@CrAstrum You know sometimes you just have to dive head in first to learn those hard lessons. I do beat myself up on spending too much money up front for something I never heard before, but I don't regret it. It just made me wiser, quicker.
Dude i got my first IEM 4 days ago... Where were you!!?? Seriously This is the video that would've saved me from hours of research. Thanks a lot for uploading this. (I got the 7Hz zero-2)
Oh man....well I hope everything works out for you with the Zero-2s because those are a highly recommended set, although I've never heard them. If you don't like them, hopefully you can return them within the return policy period. If that doesn't work, I would recommend tip rolling (trying out different ear tips) to get the best possible fit for comfort and isolation. Then if that doesn't work, maybe try doing EQ. I have not done this yet myself, but I am going to learn that soon. I'm glad you liked the video!
@@sevensoulcostanza thankfully I'm quite satisfied with them. Except the fact that outward protruding plastic above the ear tips kinda hurts my ears. But other than that I find it alright so far. And thanks for the tip(no pun intended haha).
@@somerandomguy001 Sometimes those blind buys just work out! I'm glad it's working out for you. If you know of any good EQ resources please send it my way, I'm going to try messing around with it this weekend.
I'm a senior IEM enthusiast. I started listening to IEM since late 90s. My old collection includes Shure e2c and Ultimate Ears UE700, which are conaidered rare IEMs in today's market and they are in very good working condition. But my first purchase wasn't an IEM, it's an earbud, Sennheiser MX-760, and I puchased it after several months of going back and forth trying several earbuds. It ended up as the sound signature that I use everytime I purchase earphones. It's a warm W Shaped aound with wide sound stage, detailed and very fast transient (frequency response). I listen to rock, acoustic and metal songs, so that sound signature can bring the enjoyment of listening to song collection to another level. And I added Shute e2c, which in today's IEM selection would considered flat sounding. And lastly for daily driver Ultimate Ears UE700 the dual BA with focus on bass and warm vocal. Nowadays, I rarely bring them around because of their rarity status. I still listen to them and they are all in very good working condition, complete with their accessories. Knowing your sound signature identity is extremely important for "users". But if you are an sound explorer who likes to try everything, feel free to buy anything you like. My current daily drivers are TRN VX Pro (8 BA + 1 DD), TRN BA15 (15 BA), to sleep on I use BLON BL03 (very V-Shaped) and lastly for critical listening I use Moondrop SSR (flat sounding one). Each IEM has very unique sound but still revolve around W-Shaped sound, except for BA15 and SSR, which are for analogue sound experience and critical listening. It's not easy to choose the right IEM for newbies, I appreciate this video for guiding newbies not to make mistakes on their purchase. Trying it yourself is very important. My best friend hated VX Pro for being sharp sounding and lacking bass impact to his ears. For me, VX Pro has tons of details, just about right hugh frequency and fast impactful bass.
How awesome is that to have that kind of experience in the hobby! I hope to one day have experience like you under my belt! And yes, part of the discovery of the hobby is knowing what the differences are in sound signatures. As one who doesn't believe in a one size fits all IEM solution, I will eventually own a second and third IEM in different sound signatures just so I know what they sound like, and to use for different use cases.
@@sevensoulcostanza Actually, you can choose neutral sounding IEM that will work well across several genrrs. For example: Dunu Titan S or S2 would work for acoustic, jazz, pop and relaxing musics, but not for hip hop, rock, etc. That's a very difficult topic to diacuss
@@nightringer9815 I've never heard the Titan S myself but I've heard great things about it. Someone convinced me that I should get a neutral sounding IEM, so I know exactly what reference sounds like. So I might be buying sooner than later!
@@sevensoulcostanza Mine is Shure e2c. It's flat and enjoyable. Imagine Etymotic ER4P with 10 mm old school DD, used to be a standard IEM for recording. It's discontinued
Hahaha maybe this is the sign for me to start my IEM journey with the Simgot EW300 instead of the Aful Performer 5 / 8 or Blessing 3. I am really considering the Aful P5/8 and Blessing 3, since I'm the type who buy and use something until it broke instead of buying different upgrades of the same thing. In fact, I really agree with your blind buy advice as I do not enjoy the blind buy of my Audio Technica ATH M50x - STS. Its treble and bass did not do it for me (fatiguing), and I also realize that I'm not comfortable wearing it for long time without turning on the AC. That's why I only use it when attending video call sessions / meetings.
What I've learned from others in the comments....save money and buy more budget friendly sets to experiment and train your ears before upgrading. I wish someone would have told me that earlier on my journey. Plus you can still use those sets until they die and you'd still save money in the long run!
I’ve been down the rabbit hole of IEM’s for about a year and a half. I’ve found that planars have incredible detail, but are often sibilant. I have the Letshuoer S12 regular and Pro, and both are good for gaming, but the Pro isn’t as harsh. I got the Tangzu Fudu Verse 1, and I’ve found that the mids and highs are REALLY lacking for most music, except Lo-Fi. The BLON Z300 have my favorite tuning, but they hurt my ears. The QKZ x HBB is probably my favorite all rounder, but you can really tell it’s a cheap driver. I’ve tried a lot more and I’m still on the hunt for the “one IEM to rule them all” for my library… So, I’ll happily take some suggestions 🙂
Man, I won't be the guy to give you IEM recs 😆. I will say though, I don't believe in the whole one IEM to rule them all. I read forums about audiophiles finding that one TOTL IEM that checks all their boxes, only to read about them coming back to the forums asking, "what is better than X IEM?" I think the pursuit for audio perfection never ends and that's why many of us end up owning multiple IEMs.
EQ is something I've been exploring lately. I am playing around with Wavelet app on my DAP to tune my IEMs which has been a learning experience so far.
@@UNMEASURED100 yeah. I love gangsta rap genres like tupac but iem has bright sound signature would not bring you emotion that the song want to transfer. Bright iem always has thin mid & I hate it.
I did the blind buy mistake and bought a cheap qkz ak7. Luckily it sounded good enough for me to know the v signature is my preference. Then bought kz zsn pro x and zs10 pro x based on reviews to have one for gaming and listening to pop musics. Lastly bought a tangzu wan er as a all rounder for music and movies. Changed cables to a more comfortable one and notice it does not change the sound much compared to tip rolling.
I've had the same experience with cables. I've tried silver cables vs OFC vs OCC. I can't tell the difference. Now I just look for cables that are comfortable.
Tip rolling and using differnet sized tips in each ear if needed. ALWAYS wait for the hype of new sets to die down. Set Spotify or Tidal to the highest quality or download FLAC files. Learn how to EQ and use a DAC or DAP. Upgrade your cable to a better quality universal one that you can change the ends on. Break in the IEMs with several hours listening time. Most of all have fun and remember to enjoy your music with the hobby.
Tip rolling is the next lesson I had to learn. It's so important considering that's the exact point that the music enters your ear canal. Almost like how important tires are for transferring that engine power to the road.
Bro i'm thinking about buying NiceHCK DB2 as my 1st iem, i hear almost mixed genre, sometimes relaxed ones & sometime for a long period of time i hear film scores while working or just want to hear the scores, fav is Ludwig gorranson's tenet, is this be perfect for me?
Hard to say if it would be perfect for you as I haven't heard those myself. But as a $26 blind buy, I think the risk to reward is worth it! If anything you might be spending time & money trying different ear tips or experimenting with EQ.
I agree with what you said about trying them on first before buying, i regret buying the first moondrop chu, it sounds great for the price but the issue for me is it doesn't fit me well so another hurdle for getting the perfect iem is comfort. The issue in my country is that there are not a lot of stores that can let you try the iem before buying so i had to blind buy
Yes that is a major issue for me as well. I don't like the idea of blind buying without a way to return them. I may make a video on blind buying because that is one of the biggest hurdles for me.
My first "possibly-endgame-price" IEMs were the Variations and I blind boutght them as well. Although they're not particularly suited for my rock/metal library, they're absolutely perfect for listening to daily trendy music playlists on streaming services or RUclips. I learned my lesson too, but I'm glad it turned out that way and I didn't have to sell them, lol
They are still a great set as I still use mine every now and then. After using it for so long, it is probably one of the most comfortable IEMs for me, and when they are twisted and locked in, I get excellent isolation.
With tuning signatures, I would honestly recommend trying out cheap pairs of iems with different tunings to determine what you prefer. Outside of that if you can’t demo because of a lack of place to do it, u could try eq as a last resort, eq ur current iem to the iem you want to purchase then see if u like it. Just remember not to eq past 5k cause treble🤣. I’d recommend finding reviewers that have music preferences that align with you. This means that stuff they like, you probably will. Lastly, I’d say don’t fall into the trap of snake oil. Cables rarely make a huge difference in iems. They might be able to change parts by a few dbs but it won’t change it so drastically that a tuning changes. If you don’t like an iem, u won’t like it with another cable. Order if importance: iem->eartips-> sources-> cables
I think buying cheaper IEMs is an excellent idea and I wish I did that when I first started. I would love to learn EQ as the next step because that's another level that can really help dial in the perfect tuning for my ears.
I honestly don't have experience with IEMs in that price range. I hear good things about the Moondrop Chu, Truthear Zeros, Tin Hifi T2s but I haven't heard any of those myself.
very informative, i got tons of iems mostly under 100 usd. yaa i too gave up on much of my iems due to my playlist and prefer sound signatures. from past 6 six months i m very selective and wait for while before i make decision.
That's always a smart move; wait until the hype dies down on some IEMs to see what long term owners think. They'll most likely raise concerns of quality issues as well especially if they were early adopters.
@@sevensoulcostanza one more thing I learnt from RUclips reviewers that they alwaysss hype d iem which in couple of years becomes their bad iem due to new technology n upgraded iem at same price. One should stick to d opinion about iem if liked regardless of any new release.
@@shaikhfaridh4269 Great point. Plus reviewers in general listen to multiple IEMs so I don't know how they can differentiate one experience from another without taking meticulous notes. Although I do like reviewers that own multiple IEMs and compare their review set with something they already own. Those are great reviews.
Eartips are crucial. One of the first lessons I learned is tip rolling and how important it is to get a comfortable seal. I spent some money on ear tips in the beginning and I settled on one that sealed the best and I can wear all day. As for sources, I only own one DAP so I don't have much experience in that.
Moondrop x Crinacle DUSK. Got these from amazon where I know I can return them. I didn't have to though as they're absolutely fantastic. Tuned to the new meta and perfect for my taste.
As much as I hear of the many problems regarding Amazon, that 30 day return policy is wonderful. I'm glad you're enjoying those Crinacle Dusks, I need to hear them for myself!
I listen to a lot of metal and rock which naturally has a lot of treble presence, so I have to make sure anything I get absolutely does not have a crap load of highs, and has good bass so the drums and bass guitar can actually have presence in the music, and because our ears just naturally are more attuned to higher frequencies and hear them more easily, (mine especially at least) it makes little sense for me to pick a set that emphasis frequencies that are already quite emphasized and sometimes purposefully harsh, cause it would downright murder my ears. My first set was the kz zs10 pro a few years ago, I had them for a few months and while they did have nice bass I found them to be quite sharp, so then I got the tripowin olina and had it for almost a year, it was very close to neutral and while it wasn’t necessarily sharp the bass was *just* a little lower than I wanted, so eventually I got the tangzu zetian wu and the Qudelix 5k to power it, and have had it for a year, eq’d with 1-2db extra at 63-125hz and it has a very good amount of bass and the treble is not at all sharp or painful so it’s nearly perfect for me, though I’m kinda feeling like the properties of the planar driver lets its bass not quite as punchy as I’d like, though it does reach down about as low as I’d need it to, so I may try and get something different sometime soon. In my opinion picking a tuning that specifically works with your library is definitely the most important thing to consider
Wow, what a journey you've been on so far. I have yet to dive into EQing and I honestly can't wait. It's another level to the hobby that I would love to learn to really dial in my set.
I also purchased blind the Moondrop Variations because every one online and many trusted reviewers said they were great, it was the biggest expensive mistake of mine, in less than a week I sold them, I listen to a lot of 80's hard rock/heavy metal and the Variations sound signature sounded thin and brittle, like there was no body to the sound, there was detail in the sound but there was no soul. I learned my lesson to always try before you buy, the thing is with me I don't have a preferred sound signature I just want clarity in all the frequency ranges, especially vocals.
OUCH. We both learned that hard lesson. I still have mine but I'm thinking of selling it as I only listen to it every now and then. I agree with you, the Variations just missed that special sauce when listening to certain genres. I wish you luck on your IEM hunting.
@@massivemikeh I haven't purchased many but I do like the Aful Performer 8 and Thie Audio Hype 4, to me they suit my 80's hard rock / heavy metal music well, giving a punchy vibrant sound without hurting my ears and not a thin sound like the Moon Drop Variations.
Thanks, I'm glad you liked it! As of today, my favorite IEMs are the Fatfreq Scarlet Minis which are my daily drivers. Take that with a grain of salt though as I'm a basshead!
@@massivemikeh The best way I can describe the feeling is having subs placed behind my head but aimed down at my neck. Listening to the Scarlets Minis I can feel the bass roll down my body. It's addicting!
Love it! Once I get that subwoofer feel in my skull, it's so hard to stop listening! I feel the mids are recessed a little too much, so I've been experimenting with EQ to get a minor boost in that range. But other than that, no other complaints!
Sir can I buy simgot ew200 as my first iem I never used an iem in my life I only used wireless earbuds or neckbands my main preference is to watching movies and tv shows like house of dragons and stuff many reviews said simgot ew200 is best or should I go for cheaper iem like moondrop chu 2 or tangzu Warner sg I mostly use earbuds from oppo and OnePlus like oppo enco air 3 pro is this iem better than oppo enco buds
@@joykayden7120 I can't give a good recommendation for any of those because I have never heard any of them. I will say that I have seen a majority of good reviews for the Chu 2 and Tangzu so I'd recommend starting there. Maybe order from a retailer that has a good return policy so you can send them back for a refund if you're not happy.
I'm a person with a constant vertigo and IEM is one thing i will never touch again, having tinnitus is one of the worst thing you can experience in IEM
Bassheads need to pay close attention to reviews. Too many people don't like bass. Wtf?! Do not listen when they say good bass. They don't know what good means to you. HBB prefers mid bass. We all have biases and preferences, reviewers are no different. Don't be scared to buy things you feel you'll like no matter how many reviewers say it's bad. They aren't you.
100% agree. And the truth is the reviewer's aren't spending your money, they aren't listening to your music, and they aren't listening through your ears. I just use reviewers nowadays as a starting point during research.
"don't bling buy" you say but where I live that's IMPOSSIBLE. Not even a single store will let you test the product, or you buy or not, simple. I made a mistake when entering this world that I bought an overly Vshaped earphones and I hated the sound a lot, I'm more of a IEF Neutral with slight bass boost. That's why I learned to EQ my IEM's when the sound signature is not what I want. Now I daily drive the Hexa because I find the sound signature is perfect for me
I completely understand not being able to avoid blind buying. I am in the same exact boat with no stores within a 3-4 hour drive of where I live. I think the next video I make might be about how to audition through online buying, which might be relevant to a lot of buyers.
@@sevensoulcostanza just a quick note, EQ to some earphones can also help find if you will like them or not. I tried a Kz Zsn pro 2 EQ'd to sound as similar to the KZ Zs10 pro 2 before buying those and when I got them I just compared the eq vs the original one and it sounded incredibly similar but the zs10 had more of that rich sound the zsn pro 2 didn't have even EQ'd
It's happened to me once. But not IEM. An expensive Earphones. ( Marshall EQ MODE) I thought it was good in hip-hop but it doesn't. Hopefully I know how to EQ to my preferences to blend a tuned to hip-hop . Good video 🤍 Now I'm using tangzu Wan'er and planning to buy truthear x crinicle zero Red next week
I totally agree with you in everything, but and a big but... I wouldnt use another persons IEM just out of fear of an ear infection, Even if it is soaked in alcohol to kill all germs and etcs hahaha. That alone kinda make me want stay blind buying haha. But you are 100% right
I mostly agree even if I would put things differently. You can trust reviewers fine, but know that it's like comparing taste in food. They might not like what you like and it's very hard to know that without shared experience of products. People also listen to the same music with very different sound. I've seen a few top lists for metal IEMs for example I found horrific advice from my point of view. There's no replacement for experience and spending months on reading reviews etc has maybe 60% you'll make a relatively optimal buying decision. Instead I'd recommend getting three differently tuned IEMs at $15 or less (Aliexpress discounts etc reach to many things) and spending a few months with them while getting familiar with FR graphs. This way you might reach 80-90% accuracy when getting something more expensive.
I do not use Apple music service or use ALAC files. I use Spotify since my family uses it, but I strive try to buy all my favorite albums in FLAC files so I rely less on Spotify.
Sound signatures are overrated because EQ exists and you can fix it as you like. Obviously it's better and easier to just plug and play, but if you din't have enough bass it's not the reason to throw IEMs out, just raise its level in EQ.
That's very true. I just recently started playing around with Wavelet app on my DAP to EQ my IEMs so maybe I'll make a video about it later trying to EQ the deficiencies as a learning experience.
There this $635 Unique Melody Mest japan and I have one I was surprised by the tactile bass and extended treble that the expensive $3k to $6k IEM provide I can enjoy on a $635 set!
@@sevensoulcostanza try the Canpur Cp622b its bone conduction drivers give tactile bass you can feel in the ear like subwoofer and surprisingly it doesn't have a DD it's ba est and bc but the bc gives it tactile bass no dd needed
Mistake #4 is fortunately the only mistake I did, bought the Aria 2021 based off so many reviews back then and it does sound smooth(compared to my cheap KZs) but it was intensely boring and since it was covid I used it for 6 months trying to justify it with tip rolling + eq and all but I just sell it because there was no point(with the paint chipped, yay). I listen to 40% metal(thrash, heavy, death, Nu), 30% EDM(Dubstep, Techno, Trance, etc), and 30% other genres(Rock, Pop, Punk) and the 2021 Arias was just...okay for all of them, nothing mindblowing or amazing like the reviewers said. Didn't buy any IEMs over 15 USD since then until months ago I snatched an used Quartet for 60 bucks and right out of the box I loved it, no reviewer notes just buying it because of the description of the IEMs. Mistake #1 and #4 should be a lesson for folks trying to research for new IEMs, because nobody has the exact same taste in music (although my taste in music are unusual compared to the typical reviewer in all fairness)
i got same taste for music genre, metal (thrash, prog, instrumental & death) being my fav thn comes rock, pop, punk & psychedelic rock. iem i use frequently are tanchjim 4u ultra, cklvx D41 with Onix alpha Xi1 dac.
That is very true. I might listen to hip-hop and drum and bass, but not everyone listens to the same artists I do. But once I listened to a set with my own music library, I learned pretty quickly if I like the tuning or not.
one of my mistake, if you live in a tropical country, check if an iem has any moisture buildup issue moisture kill the iem in no time, one iem lasted only 3 months with me from KZ, TRN iem lasted more than a year 😅
i live in southeast asia my i never had have moisture build up issue so far my iem is tin t2 already 5 years old still going strong till today maybe yours is balanced armature driver iems? i heard BA driver are prone to high humidity?
I've never had to deal with any humidity issues but that's a good tip to check for moisture buildup. I'm thinking maybe a desiccant would work when storing IEMs.
This happened with me too I listen to big room house, mainstage music, edm a lot then pop and little bit of everything and the first iem I purchased was hexa I was so disappointed I exchanged it with fudu but still it is also not my Ideal sound I always feel like I've not weared it correctly hence not getting good seal becouse of less bass
I feel you on that. Is it too late to return? Or are you looking at restocking fees and return shipping costs that outweigh the actual cost of the Fudu? Maybe if you're stuck with them you might just want to do some tip rolling to see if you can get better bass.
@@sevensoulcostanza no it has been a few months so I've to keep them. I did tip rolling (they come with divinus tips) so yeah experience is better than hexa but still not amazed by them.
Mistake #4 can be perceived from the different perspective. Even if most of reviewers hates/underappreciate/pays no attention on some particular IEM, you might love these IEMs anyway as it was for me with QKZ HBB Hades and 7HZ Dioko. Hades has best (in terms of quantity) bass yet I lowered the midbass via EQ and Dioko has endgame treble I'm obsessed with. Overall I consider myself as BASShead degenerate #muddybassforever
facts I am looking for some iems to run with my 5th gen ipod and I would really like something that works for bass but clearity is something I wouldnt mind trying either where those top ends really come through any recomemdations would really be appreciated.
First figure out your budget. You can find a bassy set for a reasonable price, like the QKZ x Hades for $50 USD. I know HBB has a Basshead list on his IEM ranking list, but a majority of those are well over $500 USD for most of them. I'd recommend into looking for a set that you could return within 30 days, but many retailers do charge restocking fees so keep that in mind.
wow...it's so weird, I came to the exact same conclusion as you did a few weeks ago. I realized you should never go off of things like price, or reviews. Apparently every reviewer is obsessed with only flat, clear, crisp, clarity. If headphones or IEMs have any bass or sparkly highs, they say they're horrible. They must only listen to spoken word if they are that obsessed with clarity. I understand they're looking at it from a mixing/mastering perspective where they need to do critical listening...but the majority of us are just trying to listen to our favorite music and have fun. I bought the HD600s years ago because I was told by many reviewers how amazing they are. They are nice, but they're boring as hell to listen to, first time listening to V-shape headphones blew me away and I couldn't believe how much better my music and games sounded using them. I like bad guy good audio reviews for the same reason, he looks at it from a consumer stand point rather than a mixing one. Great video!
Exactly! Critical music listening to me includes head nodding to the beat and that will never go away no matter how old I get! I'm glad you liked the video!
Thanks my friend I did the same mistake and my library is identical to yours, now am stuck with etymotic and variations, they actually sound very good but that lack of bass always turns me off every-time Any recommendations of iem that are v -shaped with very clean sound and instrumental separation even if there10 I will try to do a good research on them
@@sevensoulcostanza definitely amazing. even tho it came with a very cheap accessories, i can't stop loving it. I can just buy a new cable and ear tips.
some of them are unavoidable like in most places there is nowhere to audition most of the brands that are being reviewed, another would be that buying from aliexpress you don´t have any kind of returning policy, at least not if you didn't like the sound firm for instance, it must have an evident problem like a broken shell or cable and you have to back it up very well with proof to be eligible for a product return. Then there's the learning curve to understand the terms and what they really mean to your ears with your music. Some brands will have every reviewer out there making a vid about their newest release even in the same couple of days the brand dictates them to, so you may get a storm of hype and stimulation to get said product, while other brands prefer to keep their products reviewed by a few or even none, that doesn't mean they are not as good or even better than the ones everybody have listened about. Finally other factors like price, shell physycal attractiveness also alter ones path through the hobby. So just enjoy while knowing you will make some worng and also some good decisions in your way in.
I like classical music and vocals the most , so I'm hoping the kz eda balanced would hopefully suit my needs . I will be able get the set of 3 for 18 dollars or so by conversion , there's no audiophile store nearby and I am quite sensitive to sibilant trebles and rarely listen to things with bass . I can't afford more than 20 dollars , so I'm hoping to blind buy the kz eda . What would you suggest ? Have you tried the kz eda ? Reviewers haven't covered it much , but some did say the tuning is much better than standard kz house tuning .
People who have knowledge about this please reply ! I'm worried about the quality control issues of moondrop Chu 2 or else I would have gone for it . Others I consider are tangzu wan'er sg , kz zex , CCA CRA , kz zsn pro etc . This will be my first iem .
KZ does a bait and switch honestly, I wouldn't recommend them. Maybe try for the TRN Conch. Pricier though (25 USD where I live). Also, most treble-centric/focused IEMs are fatiguing, which is normal. If any, just EQ it. It's generously accessorized and you can experiment how you like your sound. If you want something safer, go for the Truthear Gate. Everything is A-OK except maybe some sibilance in the upper trebles. My friend who's normally treble-sensitive doesn't find it too harsh compared to the Simgot EW200. Plus, this one's 2-pin compared to Conch's QDC, so if you want to continue the hobby, you have more choices cuz of 2-pin.
@@sylfraeaveniore2684 another thing to note is there's only a couple of online sites that sell audiophile products ( and when it comes to accessible service networks or physical stores or other alternatives it's very much non existent ) , and on top of the quality control issues with chi fi iems regardless of the brand or model , these sites have a very bad reputation for getting delayed delivery , missing items , faulty products (which they claim they will replace but then they give excuses and customer ends up giving up on iems and going back to regular budget earphones , coz at least they will be available with better quality control though with mediocre sound . Stuff like kz is more widely available and from reputed sellers , and even if eda has quality control issues , I'm hoping at least 1 or 2 of the 3 will work for at least for an year or two . Typical Kz tuning might not be something that I would like and hence this toned down and tamer eda series feels will be more suitable . Kz is available on Amazon and this being my first iem I hope to be better prepared for failures by paying less and getting better delivery and returns or replacement . If I get a moondrop Chu 2 or truthear gate from these not so good websites ( most people have experienced their devices failing within months and the sound and quality not being as good as they expected from the rave reviews and hype , not to mention it being uncomfortable to wear for longer listening sessions and it requiring higher volumes to get proper clarity leading to ear fatigue and pronounced sibilance issues ) . So no matter which company or model it becomes a lottery or gamble on hoping you get a good pair , that's why my odds feel better with kz eda coz it's 3 in 1 , and even if the other 2 are not tuned well out of the set of 3 I can compensate with equaliser . I don't think all 3 will fail at once and since it's 2 years old the discount is really appealing. I mainly need a very balanced and as close to neutral without it being completely boring type of iems . Salnotes zero for some reason from all the reviewers I feel will not be a good fit or suitable for my taste. Truthear hola came really close but then it's discontinued and is still on the pricier side of things I can afford . Also the replacement cables for other brands cost almost as much as a new pair of iem , only kz cable is available at a relatively reasonable price , so even if others are better tuned (with had fit and not suitable for longer listening sessions ) but if either the iem or its cable stops working in 2 or 3 months then it's going to be a waste of money that would be hard to afford once , not at all possible twice . With inflation going high I feel you get less quality for a recently released new pair of 20 dollars iem than a few years old pair of 20 dollars iem .
sylfraeaveniore2684 another thing to note is there's only a couple of online sites that sell audiophile products ( and when it comes to accessible service networks or physical stores or other alternatives it's very much non existent ) , and on top of the quality control issues with chi fi iems regardless of the brand or model , these sites have a very bad reputation for getting delayed delivery , missing items , faulty products (which they claim they will replace but then they give excuses and customer ends up giving up on iems and going back to regular budget earphones , coz at least they will be available with better quality control though with mediocre sound . Stuff like kz is more widely available and from reputed sellers , and even if eda has quality control issues , I'm hoping at least 1 or 2 of the 3 will work for at least for an year or two . Typical Kz tuning might not be something that I would like and hence this toned down and tamer eda series feels will be more suitable . Kz is available on Amazon and this being my first iem I hope to be better prepared for failures by paying less and getting better delivery and returns or replacement . If I get a moondrop Chu 2 or truthear gate from these not so good websites ( most people have experienced their devices failing within months and the sound and quality not being as good as they expected from the rave reviews and hype , not to mention it being uncomfortable to wear for longer listening sessions and it requiring higher volumes to get proper clarity leading to ear fatigue and pronounced sibilance issues ) . So no matter which company or model it becomes a lottery or gamble on hoping you get a good pair , that's why my odds feel better with kz eda coz it's 3 in 1 , and even if the other 2 are not tuned well out of the set of 3 I can compensate with equaliser . I don't think all 3 will fail at once and since it's 2 years old the discount is really appealing. I mainly need a very balanced and as close to neutral without it being completely boring type of iems . Salnotes zero for some reason from all the reviewers I feel will not be a good fit or suitable for my taste. Truthear hola came really close but then it's discontinued and is still on the pricier side of things I can afford . Also the replacement cables for other brands cost almost as much as a new pair of iem , only kz cable is available at a relatively reasonable price , so even if others are better tuned (with had fit and not suitable for longer listening sessions ) but if either the iem or its cable stops working in 2 or 3 months then it's going to be a waste of money that would be hard to afford once , not at all possible twice . With inflation going high I feel you get less quality for a recently released new pair of 20 dollars iem than a few years old pair of 20 dollars iem .
@sylfraeaveniore2684 another thing to note is there's only a couple of online sites that sell audiophile products ( and when it comes to accessible service networks or physical stores or other alternatives it's very much non existent ) , and on top of the quality control issues with chi fi iems regardless of the brand or model , these sites have a very bad reputation for getting delayed delivery , missing items , faulty products (which they claim they will replace but then they give excuses and customer ends up giving up on iems and going back to regular budget earphones , coz at least they will be available with better quality control though with mediocre sound . Stuff like kz is more widely available and from reputed sellers , and even if eda has quality control issues , I'm hoping at least 1 or 2 of the 3 will work for at least for an year or two . Typical Kz tuning might not be something that I would like and hence this toned down and tamer eda series feels will be more suitable . Kz is available on A m a z o n and this being my first iem I hope to be better prepared for failures by paying less and getting better delivery and returns or replacement . If I get a moondrop Chu 2 or truthear gate from these not so good websites ( most people have experienced their devices failing within months and the sound and quality not being as good as they expected from the rave reviews and hype , not to mention it being uncomfortable to wear for longer listening sessions and it requiring higher volumes to get proper clarity leading to ear fatigue and pronounced sibilance issues ) . So no matter which company or model it becomes a lottery or gamble on hoping you get a good pair , that's why my odds feel better with kz eda coz it's 3 in 1 , and even if the other 2 are not tuned well out of the set of 3 I can compensate with equaliser . I don't think all 3 will fail at once and since it's 2 years old the discount is really appealing. I mainly need a very balanced and as close to neutral without it being completely boring type of iems . Salnotes zero for some reason from all the reviewers I feel will not be a good fit or suitable for my taste. Truthear hola came really close but then it's discontinued and is still on the pricier side of things I can afford . Also the replacement cables for other brands cost almost as much as a new pair of iem , only kz cable is available at a relatively reasonable price , so even if others are better tuned (with having fit and seal issues and not suitable for longer listening sessions ) but if either the iem or its cable stops working in 2 or 3 months then it's going to be a waste of money that would be hard to afford once , not at all possible twice . With inflation going high I feel you get less quality for a recently released new pair of 20 dollars iem than a few years old pair of 20 dollars iem .
If music quality is secondary to gaming & streaming video, I would focus more on getting a neutral sound signature IEM and the most comfortable fit possible. I don't have this use case so someone more experienced can better answer that for you.
@@sevensoulcostanza i ordered a pair of Sgor Luna, had kz zs10 pro x, tangzu waners jade for 10 days and they sounded the same and decent, people say they are trash... hope the Lunas are a bit better for double the cost
I see you got the Scarlet Minis, how do you like them? I myself also a basshead and got the QKZ x HBB Hades. I love the bass rumble on my set and i'm cosidering to upgrade it to Scarlets. What do you think?
I've been meaning to check out those Hades especially for the price. I can probably use them sparingly and use them as a backup. As for the Scarlets, I was fortunate enough to listen to them during a week long tour. So I had more than enough time to throw a good sample size of my library at them. I'm sure you've seen the reviews, and yes I can confirm. These are super BASS HEAVY and they were very addicting to listen to. I am currently shopping for a pair myself now. I will say though that the mids are a bit recessed but it wasn't distracting enough for me to care. And the highs get high so if you're treble sensitive, just keep that in mind. I would highly suggest you try and demo them first, as they do cost $640 USD so they are not cheap and you don't want to be stuck with them if you don't like them. Or just be prepared to resell them which can be quite a hassle.
@@sevensoulcostanza Let me warn you about the Hades, bro… They are like 1990’s low-rider level of subwoofer nuttiness. Not that it’s bad, but clarity is not one of its strong suits!
@@ScottCStew You know for around $50 USD, I'll take my chances if it isn't exactly the best in other areas. Sometimes you just want a fun listening experience.
Yes unfortunately reviewers are under pressure to say only good things when they’re dealing with their main supplier. I think we have the same tastes in audio, what is your current iem if you don’t mind me asking? I’ve spent thousands in my lifetime trying to find the right stuff all to no avail 😅😢
The reviewer issue with retailers / manufacturers is another black hole I've looked into briefly. Unless a reviewer has tons of disposable income to purchase products themselves to review, it's hard to trust non-biased reviewers. As for my current set up, I'm using Focus EDMs at the moment while I try to find a deal on Scarlet Minis. The Focus EDMs were about $400 USD cheaper than the Variations and have a bass boosted tuning that I enjoy. Overall, it does feel like a cheaply built pair of IEMs, but they get the job done for now.
Quite difficult to find somewhere to tryout inears, so, I got the simgot em6l from amazon after listening to the headphone show. Horrible in ear, sounds nasal due to a peak at 1khz…some instruments like bass, bassdrum, male vocals disappear while some are just in your face. You need to eq the shit out of that headphone to make it sound good. Better get a pair of airpods pro, they are much more balansed.
Sorry to hear about your struggles with them. I am still learning how to properly EQ so that might be something to experiment with and present in a different video. I hope you found a solution to that set!
@@sevensoulcostanza why not, its an interesting topic. Perhaps overstated when saying that in ear is horrible. I wish it had an eq curve similar to HD650.
Yes, I agree. If your ears are fine with a 200 usd IEM, stick with it. I know for me though is that I am naturally curious and willing to experiment so that 200 usd IEM will be upgraded to a 300 usd IEM, then a 400 usd IEM....
Reviewers that prefer V-shape are very underrepresented in YT. We need more diversity. Good video. Spot on. I'm a (midbass) basshead myself. #TeamMud #CarAudioVibes 💪
Indeed. I blind-bought my Intuaura Luna Plume and it's a very fun IEM. I tried to look for reviews on it, but unfortunately the only ones I could find was from The Audio Store and from a JP Channel. I still went for it but man am I glad. I heard that the Intuaura View Splendor II (not to be confused with the Splendor Soprano) is a very V-shape sound signature too. It's my next target. I'm giving it a year before buying again (got my Plume last month) so I just wanna enjoy my Plume for as long as I can.
@@sevensoulcostanza Yeah, coming from the Aria after 2 long years, this was definitely a big upgrade. 60 USD into 150 USD got a huge leap. Applying some EQ, you can reduce the bass-mid bass to make the soundstage seem expansive. That's one way to upgrade it. I got the idea after hearing from some people that theirs came with a DSP cable that made them lose some bass lol. The bass still hits while retaining the imaging and retrieval to details.
@@sylfraeaveniore2684 I feel like I should've started off in the hobby with the cheaper IEMs and grow from there. Putting down $500+ USD for my first pair of IEMs probably wasn't the best idea. Considering now that the IEMs I listen to the most are Focus EDMs and I think I paid $100 USD for them.
Looking at crin's tier list in 2024 is your most grave mistake. That list is outdated, and you should know the tier list maker's preference. The same applies with reviews. There're also JM1 signature, Harman IE 2019,... And the Variations should be Harman, not really v shaped. While chi fi is plagued with QC, moondrop is one of the most notorious, be it IEMs, their phone or their dongles. With Variations you even have variations in tuning. If you're ever into graph, stick to crin's stuff if you can. He atleast measures with a BnK 5128 for now and an authentic 711 coupler in the past. HBB database is a must avoid, his measusement doesnt look like he put any effort into it
I’d offer a potential revision to your first point. Don’t buy IEMs which have weaknesses aimed at your music library. But, to think that we need separate IEMs for different genres really misses a key point. If rap need bass-boosted, acoustic needs mids but cut bass, etc it’s saying that the sound engineers have no idea what they’re doing. Rap, metal, etc have loads of bass already in the source material. An IEM that can’t reproduce that is failing on one of that music’s key elements. But, one IEM should be able to serve you well for all genres.
I think this is meaningfully mistaken. Classical and metal sound much better with different tunings. Music isn't mixed with a shared standard. Also personal preferences can differ by genre. Dusk is amazing for 50% of what I listened to, but poor for 30%.
People literally buy other IEMs cuz it's their hobby to try them out... And they sell them once they're done with them or when they don't like the sound. If you're really picky about how an IEM isn't tuned for your library, just EQ. The most practical response.
Very true. But many music lovers in this hobby do enjoy having a collection of IEMs for various genres and/or use cases. Me, I know what I like so I have no reason to buy an additional IEM that might be bright, for example, which would be for a very small reason for me especially genre wise.
@@sylfraeaveniore2684 This is a whole new level that I haven't explored yet. But yes, EQ is there for a reason so why not use it to get that exact sound you want.
I dont really agree with the whole subjectivity thing. I think the issue is this community (mostly just iems and headphones), has a quite flawed idea of what neutral actually is. There are so many measurement rigs, standards, target curves, and overall "frequency response theory", that its often difficult to make any meaningful sense of measurements without having gone DEEEEEEEEEP down the rabbithole. In my opinion, any device that sounds like an anechoically flat speaker with good directivity, will fit all genres
I spent hours trying to understand measurement rigs and target curves. It wasn't a total waste of time for me, but at the end, I realized that I will like what I like and no graph can prove that. I still look at graphs, but I just use them as a starting point nowadays.
@@sevensoulcostanza "end, I realized that I will like what I like and no graph can prove that". The graphs will prove it. Your interpretations may not. You may see a graph that doesn't look flat but you like it, and for example it could actually psychoacoustically follow the jbl synthesis "arcos" curve which essentially is closer to what flat speakers in a *typical* room sounds like. The answer isn't to reject the validity of graphs for subjectivity, but to get better at interpreting them
Believe it or not, I listen to my Focus EDMs almost all the time. The bass is pretty good for a $100ish IEM, but it is lacking in other area such as build quality. My hunt will never end.
@@sevensoulcostanza mmm so so , i prefer Oracle Mk3 , the main difference is the presentation of the sound Pilgrim clear Oracle Mk3 is more fuller and bassier
@@SaulAlvarezzzz I love the look of aluminum shells but I can't say they are comfortable for me. Plus the Oracle MK3 being the bassier set already got my attention!
![Seungmin "그렇게, 천천히, 우리(As we are)" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/kAzmhLHePqU/mqdefault.jpg)
You covered some very important yet less talked about topics. Excellent work.
Thank you I'm glad you enjoyed the video. I hope it saves you money in the future!
@@sevensoulcostanza It will!
One important thing I learnt after buying Moondrop Chu 2 was to research common issues about the IEM before buying them.
Is it bad
I am planning to buy moondrop chu 2
@@Anonymous-cb3cy the audio quality is pretty good, but these iems have a common issue of channel imbalance. Suddenly one of the sides will have a significantly lower volume and there is no permanent fix to it (other than replacing filters I guess). Same problem is there with Aria as well.
@@Anonymous-cb3cy I am Using Moondrop Chu II But Never Experienced Any opf Such Issues. But Within That Price Category Try Thruthear Gate.
I have been using them for about 3 months, till now no issues found.
Should i be worried?
@@TheIndianStudioBM just take good care of them, and keep them away from moisture
For anyone starting if you don’t know which sound signature is your preference, just buy a cheap pair that has similar sound profile like the one you want. Something like Salnotes zero 2, Moondrop chu, Tangzu wan’er and the list go on, just get these and have a sample of which profile would fit your taste.
When you get your preferred sound signature your upgrade path is pretty clear tbh. A lot of time these cheap pair perform so good you don’t even need an upgrade…
YES! That is an excellent point and I should have learned that lesson earlier on. Sometimes it's OK to spend a small amount on a new hobby until you know what you really want. Honestly my ears probably aren't trained enough for critical listening.
Facts! Don't fall for hype. If you know what you like and pay attention, you can find a ton of ultra cheap, ultra good IEMS that most reviewers ignore or downplay how good they are. I have an Artti T10 which is amazingly good and also many $2-10 sets which, I love just as much. I hate some popular sets too, like Waner and love some unpopular sets like ZEX. I just returned FUDU and Delci, I have cheap sets just as good and better!
@@MariaAudioChick It can be exciting finding those gems that no one talks about!
@@sevensoulcostanza yep! Even more so when you mod them and find the special sauce 😍
@@MariaAudioChickPRX! ZVX Pro!
What helped me get started was buying cheap IEMs, while on sale and with coupons on Aliexpress. That help me know what was the sound signatures I preferred the most for my music library.
When climbing to mid if level, those cheapies helped realize how diminishing returns come into play, so I even ended up returning 2 400 USD IEMs that were not even worth the spending- to my ears - . At the end the money saved helped also explore tip rolling, to enhance my existing collection.
This really should have been my way into the hobby. I got blinded seeing awesome reviews and ranking lists for the Variations. Now I only listen to the Variations every now and then, while I listen to IEMs that are $400 USD cheaper than the Variations. Just to shows that you like what you like.
One thing I've learned is that it's important to consider the limitations of you listening abilities and where your diminishing returns are.
My example is, going from a $40 IEM to a $300 one was a step up, but not the huge chasm I was hoping. I doubt I'll buy anything more expensive and enjoy what I have as I don't think buying something higher end will give me enough listening value to justify. Honestly wish I upgraded to an iem in the $100 to $200 range.
This is the right attitude to have in the hobby. If you can't hear the difference between a $40 and a $300 IEM, than is it a reasonable $260 upgrade? I would argue to save those $260 and go buy some music with it, or upgrade something else in the audio chain.
Another tip: Never forget TIProlling
Great video by the way!
Absolutely! Tip rolling was the first tweaking I did within the hobby when I got my IEMs. Then I started tip rolling my TWS. So yes, the pursuit for audio perfection doesn't end.
What’s also crazy is that you never really know your preferred tuning until you have tried them all. I listen to reggaeton, hip hop and R&B; so you’d think I would like a v shape or neutral w/ bass boost. But I actually enjoy an analytical neutral (neutral with a hint of bright). My favorite iem right now is the blessing 3.
And that's why at the end of the day you just have to trust your ears. Congrats, I'm glad you found your favorite set! I have heard nothing but good things about the Blessing 3.
I recently got into IEMs and I've had two big issues. First was the same as you. I grew up in the 90s and like my bass to be big and impactful and haven't found something for that yet without eq'ing. Second, I have small ears and NO ONE gives nozzle sizes. Manufacturers and reviewers alike never talk about it but it's a huge issue for me. The only pair of iems I've bought that I actually enjoyed the sound of were so big that I sent them back because 20min of listening was just painful.
I've tried looking for a nozzle size database myself and found nothing. Even searching IEM specs for sizes was hit and miss. In your case, try buying from retailers that have a good return policy. Be aware that you might have to pay restocking fees and/or return shipping fees.
Thanks for a great vid. Straight. Shooter. Subbed.
Hey! I'm glad you enjoyed the video! Hopefully I saved you from some headaches and wasted time & money!
Thanks for the tips. I got mostly lucky. I got my 7hz legatos and I'm like 95% satisfied with them. I have 5 Iems total and I agree. I find the various descriptions to be more confusing and inconsistent. Unfortunately I don't have a preferred genre so I needed something that is a little of everything. Also I learned I do like W1 Spinfits. Though they do make a terrible bending plastic sound if I yawn or move my head. But they definitely made the bass better.
Another tip is about the tips. Make sure you try all of the included tips before deciding if the IEM is trash or not. They do make a difference.
Nice I looked into the Legatos myself but I decided on the Focus EDMs that I got second hand. As everyday carry IEMs, they get the job done. And yes I agree, descriptions are just marketing methods. And tips are SUPER IMPORTANT for the best possible sound AND comfort!
My wife complains I listen to too much music, she’s more of a quiet setting person. Once I learned about IEM’s, I went into crisis mode. I’m 48 and I’ve not explored this realm. What the heck k is wrong with me. I’m stuck in the old cheap headphones. I’m overwhelmed and loaded anything commenters and reviewers suggest. So my Amazon basket is over $1000.00. So I’m reviewing my list. I’m a listener of many genres of music, 80’s yaht rock, heavy metal, trance, rap, country, big bands, smooth jazz. You get the point. I NEED to dial it down to my preferred listening taste. Thank you immensely for the advice.
Nice! I'm glad I was able to help a bit or at least give you an idea on where to start on your journey. I come from the Sony Walkman, to Discman, to iPod generation so it was only a matter of time that I discover great quality portable audio. Let me know what you end up buying!
Great vid. I went through similar tribulations as you. Hearing what you like it sounds like you’d love the Doscincos ($269) or Estrellas ($300, if you want more treble and wider stage). Both slam and sound like $500 sets. I noticed the Scarlet Minis in the beginning. I have them and many other basshead sets. But the Ziigaats get my time.
I have heard nothing but good things about those Doscincos, especially on the Head-Fi forums. I definitely need to check those out. The Estrellas sound intriguing as well.
Back in high school in the early 90s i lived in a town 45 minutes from anywhere. The cable carrier didnt even have mtv. I had to "blind buy" cds, sometimes on cover art alone, to find new music to listen to. Sometimes i got lucky, like when i found black sabbath black sabbath (that was on cassette) but most of the time stuff i got was meh.
Had to blind buy my way into iems, although nowadays you have a hundred people on youtube persuading you. I found i am still influenced by cover art as i find iem backs pieces of art. Just got into it during prime days.
My advice is at a minimum buy a good dac with high enough output voltage and mw. I recommend the ka17 since it has a separate power input and can still be used on the go.
Tip rolling is real is advice 2.
3. You might not like what you think and vice versa.
Good vid!
As fyi- i have pula02, tangzu heyday, and juzear 61. Wanted to try different driver types and arrangements. Cant tell a ton of difference in them. I bought Singola and magic one for my bro with fc4 dac. He likes the singola for games and the magic ones for music and movies
Yup tip rolling was the very first lesson I learned! It's so important to get the best possible, most comfortable fit!
Variations were my first IEM purchase along with DAP iBasso DX240. I listened to them in the store and I decided to buy them. However, after longer period I noticed that Variations is not suited for my library of classic rock, rock & pop music. Variations push mids into back too much for my liking. Also there is a difference listening to them on DX240 and iPhone 12. These two devices have completely different sound signature. If you split the sound spectrum into half, iPhone lacks weight in lower half. Bass sounds thinner. For longer period of time I had love and hate relationship with Variations. That is until I purchased replaceable AMP8 MK2s for DX240 and to my surprise Variations started sounding different, more enjoyable. That dip in the mid section became unnoticeable. There was a time when I wanted to sale them but right now I do enjoy them. They have one more characteristic that my other IEMs do not have. Variations can emphasize and bring in the front instruments that other IEMs keep hidden or blended with other instruments. Also, one time when I listened to Alanis Morissette, I had this distinct feeling that she is standing only 2 feet away from me. Like physically, she is standing and singing in front of me. This a very unique IEM.
That's what always intrigued me about the iBasso DAPs. I would love the option to be able to swap out amps to change the sound. Although nowadays I might be good with just trying to EQ the IEMs.
@@sevensoulcostanza unfortunately EQ is not effective in this case. AMP changes characteristics of the device. It’s like having completely different audio source. EQ cannot replicate this.
I got lucky with my 2nd iem blind buy which was an open box Monarch Mk2. A few years later it's still close to my ideal tuning. I also enjoy tunings similar to it with varying amounts of upper treble and bass/mid bass depending on my mood.
Wow that's a pricey blind but thank goodness it worked out for you!
I bought like a dozen 20-50 buck "budget king" IEMs when I first started lol. It also took me awhile to realize what's best for my library, which is electronic music. So now I have mostly V shaped sets too, like the Sony IER-Z1R and Sennheiser IE900.
Now that's smart! I should've started slowly in the hobby and bought budget IEMs to get started. The thing is I don't know what I don't know so a $50 IEM might have been mind blowing for me! But the researcher in me told me to go big and get a jewel as my first IEM. Hard lessons learned. How do you like the Z1R and IE900? As a bass head I've always wanted to hear the Z1R but it's out of my budget right now.
@@sevensoulcostanza Z1R doesn’t have a huge amount of bass, but the quality and impact are some of the very best, still wouldn’t call it a basshead IEM though, more of a balanced v-shaped signature with an emphasis on bass. IE900 can be considered a basshead set, it’s a true V shaped sound with lots of bass and treble.
@@ROCKSTAR3291 I do like Sennheiser stuff, so maybe I should add those IE900s to my list to try 🤔
I recently bought my first IEM Moondrop CHU2 and I wish i had seen your video earlier. I am noway an audiophile yet and I am a noob. Thanks a lot for thse great points and will make sure to co aider these all for my next purchase in future. Dont get me wrong Moondrop CHU2 is a good budget IEM but unfortunately it is not comfortable with my ears with no matter what ear tips I try them with. Tha k you for this honest review.
The right ear tips are crucial for finding the most comfortable fit for IEMs. I feel that tip rolling could be a never ending path especially as you add more IEMs to your collection.
Have you heard of DCMEKA/KZ ZSN Pro 2 or CVJ night elf?
I have not but I'm curious to hear your thoughts if you decide to buy.
Well i have a moondrop variations and also listen mostly to hip hop and r&b and i love how it sounds. Prefer it over the ikko oh10, s12 pro, legato, ea500, moondrop may and other sets that i have. They have a good amount of bass for my taste, and as it's focused on subbass it still sounds clean, while the other sets that i have with more bass and midbass sound muddy and not clear. But yeah to each their own.
I'm not saying the Variations are a bad set. I still have mine and I still listen to them every now and then. But what I really crave is having that subwoofer in your ear feeling and when I heard it for the first time, I was completely blown away. I just think that after I compared other sets to the Variations, that I became familiar with what I truly wanted out of my IEMs.
i made few mistakes myself too like blind buy but it was also a very good learning experience now i know how to pick iems i would like but yes the comfort is Number One everything is secondary to this Biggest comfort wise factors are the right eartips for this specific iem and your ear different iems need different eartips and of course cables you need light, very soft cable without memory and microphonics usually best cables are 8 and 16 Core cables and no you don't need to spend alot on cables to get quality cables plus usually the more expensive the cable. the heavier it is with more memory and microphonics exactly what you don't want to find what IEMs you like watch reviews and graphs and read reviews but don't take everything as gospel this is after you find your preferred tuning according to what music you like then buy few cheaper iems $50~$200 and you will then know what to look for and you can buy more expensive if you want or just buy the right ones you don't need to buy expensive iems to enjoy music even $50 iems are more then enough
I love the idea of buying cheaper IEMs at first just to familiarize yourself with the tuning and sound signature. I wish I would've done that first.
Also to consider connection type like mmcx vs 2pin. Looks like mmcx is going to die and it is difficult to find them, but good to know to avoid those ...
Also you can buy any iem(to find out if you are a v-shape lover or neutral seeker) as a starting point with a half of your budget and return to the same question in a half of year or so, but with some experience already...
I've only had experience with 2pin so far so I guess I've lucked out. But I wouldn't mind owning some MMCX connector IEMs to have some experience with them.
And yes, I 100% agree with you. I went big on my first IEM purchase, when I should've started with more budget friendly options to get some experience. Especially nowadays, there's tons of Chi-fi on the market that seems to be getting better every year with the best bang for buck.
I agree that only way to know if you like an iem (or headphone) is to listen to it for couple of days/weeks. Even a short term tryout might be missleading because of environment sounds or different hearing of the specific day. And yes reviewers I am watching now just as an entertainment source. Latest example is comparison between newly coming Binary Dynaquatro and Juzear 61t, one reviewer says one has vocals forward, other says oposite, one reviewer says one has stronger punch, other says oposite. So it leaves me to get both to test and sell or get none.
Yes and from what I have seen so far is that most retailers have a 30 day return policy which is more than enough time to get familiar with a set. The only problem is that you might have to pay for restocking fees and return shipping. And maybe custom fees if it's an international retailer.
blind buying is actually part of the hobby. thats if you like all kinds of sound signatures. and if they are cheap enough. the main issue for not trying IEMs for me is the fit. some just dont fit me right.
That's very true. If you think about it blind buying applies to many purchases; just got to make sure that return policy is good! But yes, fit for me is huge.
I bought KZ Castor Bass after stumbling upon a review on youtube. It's my first IEM ever and my god, I love it
I have both Castor bass version and KZ ESX. ESX is a better IEM in every way both in comfort and sound quality
Sometimes it just works out! Congrats!
bought ea500lm based on the H.Y.P.E and was left disappointed. felt all instruments so far away, staging toooo wide, very bright on treble and lack of warmth. lesson learned...
Hopefully you can return still, but then you'd have to deal with restocking and shipping fees. I feel your pain though. Have you tried tip rolling to see if that helps?
I was about to comment the same thing. The treble on these IEMs is unbearable for me. I got Truthear Zero Red after EA500LM because the sound signature is bass boosted neutral and I’m happy so far. Now, my eyes are on Aful Explorer since its bass is much better than the Reds with even smoother treble. I may have wasted some money on my journey but it helped me find out what I liked or not.
@@CrAstrum likewise ! I feel the aful explorer fits my sound profile. will order it soon :)
Simgot is known for their brightness
@@CrAstrum You know sometimes you just have to dive head in first to learn those hard lessons. I do beat myself up on spending too much money up front for something I never heard before, but I don't regret it. It just made me wiser, quicker.
Dude i got my first IEM 4 days ago...
Where were you!!??
Seriously
This is the video that would've saved me from hours of research. Thanks a lot for uploading this.
(I got the 7Hz zero-2)
Is it good?? Worth it? I'm planning on buying one..
Oh man....well I hope everything works out for you with the Zero-2s because those are a highly recommended set, although I've never heard them. If you don't like them, hopefully you can return them within the return policy period. If that doesn't work, I would recommend tip rolling (trying out different ear tips) to get the best possible fit for comfort and isolation. Then if that doesn't work, maybe try doing EQ. I have not done this yet myself, but I am going to learn that soon. I'm glad you liked the video!
@@sevensoulcostanza thankfully I'm quite satisfied with them. Except the fact that outward protruding plastic above the ear tips kinda hurts my ears. But other than that I find it alright so far.
And thanks for the tip(no pun intended haha).
@@somerandomguy001 Sometimes those blind buys just work out! I'm glad it's working out for you. If you know of any good EQ resources please send it my way, I'm going to try messing around with it this weekend.
I'm a senior IEM enthusiast. I started listening to IEM since late 90s. My old collection includes Shure e2c and Ultimate Ears UE700, which are conaidered rare IEMs in today's market and they are in very good working condition. But my first purchase wasn't an IEM, it's an earbud, Sennheiser MX-760, and I puchased it after several months of going back and forth trying several earbuds. It ended up as the sound signature that I use everytime I purchase earphones. It's a warm W Shaped aound with wide sound stage, detailed and very fast transient (frequency response). I listen to rock, acoustic and metal songs, so that sound signature can bring the enjoyment of listening to song collection to another level. And I added Shute e2c, which in today's IEM selection would considered flat sounding. And lastly for daily driver Ultimate Ears UE700 the dual BA with focus on bass and warm vocal.
Nowadays, I rarely bring them around because of their rarity status. I still listen to them and they are all in very good working condition, complete with their accessories.
Knowing your sound signature identity is extremely important for "users". But if you are an sound explorer who likes to try everything, feel free to buy anything you like.
My current daily drivers are TRN VX Pro (8 BA + 1 DD), TRN BA15 (15 BA), to sleep on I use BLON BL03 (very V-Shaped) and lastly for critical listening I use Moondrop SSR (flat sounding one). Each IEM has very unique sound but still revolve around W-Shaped sound, except for BA15 and SSR, which are for analogue sound experience and critical listening.
It's not easy to choose the right IEM for newbies, I appreciate this video for guiding newbies not to make mistakes on their purchase. Trying it yourself is very important. My best friend hated VX Pro for being sharp sounding and lacking bass impact to his ears. For me, VX Pro has tons of details, just about right hugh frequency and fast impactful bass.
How awesome is that to have that kind of experience in the hobby! I hope to one day have experience like you under my belt! And yes, part of the discovery of the hobby is knowing what the differences are in sound signatures. As one who doesn't believe in a one size fits all IEM solution, I will eventually own a second and third IEM in different sound signatures just so I know what they sound like, and to use for different use cases.
@@sevensoulcostanza Actually, you can choose neutral sounding IEM that will work well across several genrrs. For example: Dunu Titan S or S2 would work for acoustic, jazz, pop and relaxing musics, but not for hip hop, rock, etc.
That's a very difficult topic to diacuss
@@nightringer9815 I've never heard the Titan S myself but I've heard great things about it. Someone convinced me that I should get a neutral sounding IEM, so I know exactly what reference sounds like. So I might be buying sooner than later!
@@sevensoulcostanza Mine is Shure e2c. It's flat and enjoyable. Imagine Etymotic ER4P with 10 mm old school DD, used to be a standard IEM for recording. It's discontinued
@@nightringer9815 Very nice. When I take that journey into getting a neutral IEM, I might just buy one off eBay to check it out!
I kinda knew what sound signature I liked, so I blindly bought the Monarch MKIII and I totally love it. I guess I was pretty lucky :D
Sometimes, it just works out like that! Congrats!
+1 on the monarch mk3. It’s just so good
Hahaha maybe this is the sign for me to start my IEM journey with the Simgot EW300 instead of the Aful Performer 5 / 8 or Blessing 3.
I am really considering the Aful P5/8 and Blessing 3, since I'm the type who buy and use something until it broke instead of buying different upgrades of the same thing. In fact, I really agree with your blind buy advice as I do not enjoy the blind buy of my Audio Technica ATH M50x - STS. Its treble and bass did not do it for me (fatiguing), and I also realize that I'm not comfortable wearing it for long time without turning on the AC. That's why I only use it when attending video call sessions / meetings.
What I've learned from others in the comments....save money and buy more budget friendly sets to experiment and train your ears before upgrading. I wish someone would have told me that earlier on my journey. Plus you can still use those sets until they die and you'd still save money in the long run!
I’ve been down the rabbit hole of IEM’s for about a year and a half. I’ve found that planars have incredible detail, but are often sibilant. I have the Letshuoer S12 regular and Pro, and both are good for gaming, but the Pro isn’t as harsh. I got the Tangzu Fudu Verse 1, and I’ve found that the mids and highs are REALLY lacking for most music, except Lo-Fi. The BLON Z300 have my favorite tuning, but they hurt my ears. The QKZ x HBB is probably my favorite all rounder, but you can really tell it’s a cheap driver.
I’ve tried a lot more and I’m still on the hunt for the “one IEM to rule them all” for my library… So, I’ll happily take some suggestions 🙂
Man, I won't be the guy to give you IEM recs 😆. I will say though, I don't believe in the whole one IEM to rule them all. I read forums about audiophiles finding that one TOTL IEM that checks all their boxes, only to read about them coming back to the forums asking, "what is better than X IEM?" I think the pursuit for audio perfection never ends and that's why many of us end up owning multiple IEMs.
Speak the truth!!! I went down the same hole!! Thanks!!
I'm glad you agree! Sometimes we need to learn those hard lessons.
It kind of sounds like you just EQ your variations to have a little more bass. They are already pretty close to V-shaped.
EQ is something I've been exploring lately. I am playing around with Wavelet app on my DAP to tune my IEMs which has been a learning experience so far.
I am not a basshead. But I ve realized that bass would add feeling for the song you listening. Without it the song just boring.
There's something to it when you can feel the music!
True. I recently bought an IEM that sounds more clear and faster than my previous one but it lacks the fun that I had before.
@@UNMEASURED100 yeah. I love gangsta rap genres like tupac but iem has bright sound signature would not bring you emotion that the song want to transfer. Bright iem always has thin mid & I hate it.
@@UNMEASURED100 Sometimes we just want fun when enjoying music and there's nothing wrong with that!
This is true bro! same exact experience.
Hard lesson learned. Sometimes you just have to go through it yourself.
I did the blind buy mistake and bought a cheap qkz ak7. Luckily it sounded good enough for me to know the v signature is my preference.
Then bought kz zsn pro x and zs10 pro x based on reviews to have one for gaming and listening to pop musics. Lastly bought a tangzu wan er as a all rounder for music and movies. Changed cables to a more comfortable one and notice it does not change the sound much compared to tip rolling.
I've had the same experience with cables. I've tried silver cables vs OFC vs OCC. I can't tell the difference. Now I just look for cables that are comfortable.
@@sevensoulcostanzaI buy cables for looks but every once in a blue moon, the cable improves sound. It's rare. Try AK6 Pro. Shockingly good.
Tip rolling and using differnet sized tips in each ear if needed. ALWAYS wait for the hype of new sets to die down. Set Spotify or Tidal to the highest quality or download FLAC files. Learn how to EQ and use a DAC or DAP. Upgrade your cable to a better quality universal one that you can change the ends on. Break in the IEMs with several hours listening time. Most of all have fun and remember to enjoy your music with the hobby.
Tip rolling is the next lesson I had to learn. It's so important considering that's the exact point that the music enters your ear canal. Almost like how important tires are for transferring that engine power to the road.
Bro i'm thinking about buying NiceHCK DB2 as my 1st iem, i hear almost mixed genre, sometimes relaxed ones & sometime for a long period of time i hear film scores while working or just want to hear the scores, fav is Ludwig gorranson's tenet, is this be perfect for me?
Hard to say if it would be perfect for you as I haven't heard those myself. But as a $26 blind buy, I think the risk to reward is worth it! If anything you might be spending time & money trying different ear tips or experimenting with EQ.
@sevensoulcostanza appreciated
I agree with what you said about trying them on first before buying, i regret buying the first moondrop chu, it sounds great for the price but the issue for me is it doesn't fit me well so another hurdle for getting the perfect iem is comfort. The issue in my country is that there are not a lot of stores that can let you try the iem before buying so i had to blind buy
Yes that is a major issue for me as well. I don't like the idea of blind buying without a way to return them. I may make a video on blind buying because that is one of the biggest hurdles for me.
My first "possibly-endgame-price" IEMs were the Variations and I blind boutght them as well. Although they're not particularly suited for my rock/metal library, they're absolutely perfect for listening to daily trendy music playlists on streaming services or RUclips. I learned my lesson too, but I'm glad it turned out that way and I didn't have to sell them, lol
They are still a great set as I still use mine every now and then. After using it for so long, it is probably one of the most comfortable IEMs for me, and when they are twisted and locked in, I get excellent isolation.
With tuning signatures, I would honestly recommend trying out cheap pairs of iems with different tunings to determine what you prefer.
Outside of that if you can’t demo because of a lack of place to do it, u could try eq as a last resort, eq ur current iem to the iem you want to purchase then see if u like it. Just remember not to eq past 5k cause treble🤣.
I’d recommend finding reviewers that have music preferences that align with you. This means that stuff they like, you probably will.
Lastly, I’d say don’t fall into the trap of snake oil. Cables rarely make a huge difference in iems. They might be able to change parts by a few dbs but it won’t change it so drastically that a tuning changes. If you don’t like an iem, u won’t like it with another cable.
Order if importance: iem->eartips-> sources-> cables
I think buying cheaper IEMs is an excellent idea and I wish I did that when I first started. I would love to learn EQ as the next step because that's another level that can really help dial in the perfect tuning for my ears.
what would you think is the best iem to get under and around 50$ according to you? currently looking at the juzear clears.
I honestly don't have experience with IEMs in that price range. I hear good things about the Moondrop Chu, Truthear Zeros, Tin Hifi T2s but I haven't heard any of those myself.
@@sevensoulcostanza ahh sad thanks for the reply though!
@@HaruAikami Happy hunting and let me know what works out for you! I might buy an IEM in that price range just so I have a reference set.
very informative, i got tons of iems mostly under 100 usd. yaa i too gave up on much of my iems due to my playlist and prefer sound signatures. from past 6 six months i m very selective and wait for while before i make decision.
That's always a smart move; wait until the hype dies down on some IEMs to see what long term owners think. They'll most likely raise concerns of quality issues as well especially if they were early adopters.
@@sevensoulcostanza one more thing I learnt from RUclips reviewers that they alwaysss hype d iem which in couple of years becomes their bad iem due to new technology n upgraded iem at same price. One should stick to d opinion about iem if liked regardless of any new release.
@@shaikhfaridh4269 Great point. Plus reviewers in general listen to multiple IEMs so I don't know how they can differentiate one experience from another without taking meticulous notes. Although I do like reviewers that own multiple IEMs and compare their review set with something they already own. Those are great reviews.
What is your take on source and eartips ? Any recommendations ?
Eartips are crucial. One of the first lessons I learned is tip rolling and how important it is to get a comfortable seal. I spent some money on ear tips in the beginning and I settled on one that sealed the best and I can wear all day. As for sources, I only own one DAP so I don't have much experience in that.
Moondrop x Crinacle DUSK. Got these from amazon where I know I can return them. I didn't have to though as they're absolutely fantastic. Tuned to the new meta and perfect for my taste.
As much as I hear of the many problems regarding Amazon, that 30 day return policy is wonderful. I'm glad you're enjoying those Crinacle Dusks, I need to hear them for myself!
I listen to a lot of metal and rock which naturally has a lot of treble presence, so I have to make sure anything I get absolutely does not have a crap load of highs, and has good bass so the drums and bass guitar can actually have presence in the music, and because our ears just naturally are more attuned to higher frequencies and hear them more easily, (mine especially at least) it makes little sense for me to pick a set that emphasis frequencies that are already quite emphasized and sometimes purposefully harsh, cause it would downright murder my ears. My first set was the kz zs10 pro a few years ago, I had them for a few months and while they did have nice bass I found them to be quite sharp, so then I got the tripowin olina and had it for almost a year, it was very close to neutral and while it wasn’t necessarily sharp the bass was *just* a little lower than I wanted, so eventually I got the tangzu zetian wu and the Qudelix 5k to power it, and have had it for a year, eq’d with 1-2db extra at 63-125hz and it has a very good amount of bass and the treble is not at all sharp or painful so it’s nearly perfect for me, though I’m kinda feeling like the properties of the planar driver lets its bass not quite as punchy as I’d like, though it does reach down about as low as I’d need it to, so I may try and get something different sometime soon. In my opinion picking a tuning that specifically works with your library is definitely the most important thing to consider
Wow, what a journey you've been on so far. I have yet to dive into EQing and I honestly can't wait. It's another level to the hobby that I would love to learn to really dial in my set.
Thanks for the video, cheers
Thanks for watching, I hope you got good ideas from it.
Great advice
I'm glad you liked the video! Hopefully I saved you some time and money.
I also purchased blind the Moondrop Variations because every one online and many trusted reviewers said they were great, it was the biggest expensive mistake of mine, in less than a week I sold them, I listen to a lot of 80's hard rock/heavy metal and the Variations sound signature sounded thin and brittle, like there was no body to the sound, there was detail in the sound but there was no soul. I learned my lesson to always try before you buy, the thing is with me I don't have a preferred sound signature I just want clarity in all the frequency ranges, especially vocals.
OUCH. We both learned that hard lesson. I still have mine but I'm thinking of selling it as I only listen to it every now and then. I agree with you, the Variations just missed that special sauce when listening to certain genres. I wish you luck on your IEM hunting.
@@sevensoulcostanza Yes definitely, thank you, much appreciated.
What are your fav iems? Thanks
@@massivemikeh I haven't purchased many but I do like the Aful Performer 8 and Thie Audio Hype 4, to me they suit my 80's hard rock / heavy metal music well, giving a punchy vibrant sound without hurting my ears and not a thin sound like the Moon Drop Variations.
@@robertobuatti7226 hey man, thanks for the reply. i have mangird tea og, but will look into the hype 4. thanks
Hey man, excellent video. What are YOUR fav iems? Thanks
Thanks, I'm glad you liked it! As of today, my favorite IEMs are the Fatfreq Scarlet Minis which are my daily drivers. Take that with a grain of salt though as I'm a basshead!
@@sevensoulcostanza Thanks man! I'm ex car audio, so a basshead too. But I've been away from my basshead roots for some years now.
@@massivemikeh The best way I can describe the feeling is having subs placed behind my head but aimed down at my neck. Listening to the Scarlets Minis I can feel the bass roll down my body. It's addicting!
Do you like the Scarlet Mini? 😄
Love it! Once I get that subwoofer feel in my skull, it's so hard to stop listening! I feel the mids are recessed a little too much, so I've been experimenting with EQ to get a minor boost in that range. But other than that, no other complaints!
Sir can I buy simgot ew200 as my first iem I never used an iem in my life I only used wireless earbuds or neckbands my main preference is to watching movies and tv shows like house of dragons and stuff many reviews said simgot ew200 is best or should I go for cheaper iem like moondrop chu 2 or tangzu Warner sg I mostly use earbuds from oppo and OnePlus like oppo enco air 3 pro is this iem better than oppo enco buds
And one more thing I listen most EDM songs 😅
@@joykayden7120 I can't give a good recommendation for any of those because I have never heard any of them. I will say that I have seen a majority of good reviews for the Chu 2 and Tangzu so I'd recommend starting there. Maybe order from a retailer that has a good return policy so you can send them back for a refund if you're not happy.
I'm a person with a constant vertigo and IEM is one thing i will never touch again, having tinnitus is one of the worst thing you can experience in IEM
Great video🎉
Thank you!
Bassheads need to pay close attention to reviews. Too many people don't like bass. Wtf?! Do not listen when they say good bass. They don't know what good means to you. HBB prefers mid bass. We all have biases and preferences, reviewers are no different. Don't be scared to buy things you feel you'll like no matter how many reviewers say it's bad. They aren't you.
100% agree. And the truth is the reviewer's aren't spending your money, they aren't listening to your music, and they aren't listening through your ears. I just use reviewers nowadays as a starting point during research.
Qkz x hbb is supposed to be a 'basshead' set.. In what universe?
"don't bling buy" you say but where I live that's IMPOSSIBLE. Not even a single store will let you test the product, or you buy or not, simple. I made a mistake when entering this world that I bought an overly Vshaped earphones and I hated the sound a lot, I'm more of a IEF Neutral with slight bass boost. That's why I learned to EQ my IEM's when the sound signature is not what I want. Now I daily drive the Hexa because I find the sound signature is perfect for me
I completely understand not being able to avoid blind buying. I am in the same exact boat with no stores within a 3-4 hour drive of where I live. I think the next video I make might be about how to audition through online buying, which might be relevant to a lot of buyers.
@@sevensoulcostanza just a quick note, EQ to some earphones can also help find if you will like them or not. I tried a Kz Zsn pro 2 EQ'd to sound as similar to the KZ Zs10 pro 2 before buying those and when I got them I just compared the eq vs the original one and it sounded incredibly similar but the zs10 had more of that rich sound the zsn pro 2 didn't have even EQ'd
It's happened to me once. But not IEM. An expensive Earphones. ( Marshall EQ MODE)
I thought it was good in hip-hop but it doesn't. Hopefully I know how to EQ to my preferences to blend a tuned to hip-hop .
Good video 🤍
Now I'm using tangzu Wan'er and planning to buy truthear x crinicle zero Red next week
I haven't heard either set, so what are your thoughts so far?
And I am still experimenting with EQ. I might make a video soon on my experiences.
I totally agree with you in everything, but and a big but... I wouldnt use another persons IEM just out of fear of an ear infection, Even if it is soaked in alcohol to kill all germs and etcs hahaha. That alone kinda make me want stay blind buying haha. But you are 100% right
Good point! You can always bring your own tips and do some on the spot tip rolling to get a good fit!
I mostly agree even if I would put things differently. You can trust reviewers fine, but know that it's like comparing taste in food. They might not like what you like and it's very hard to know that without shared experience of products. People also listen to the same music with very different sound. I've seen a few top lists for metal IEMs for example I found horrific advice from my point of view. There's no replacement for experience and spending months on reading reviews etc has maybe 60% you'll make a relatively optimal buying decision. Instead I'd recommend getting three differently tuned IEMs at $15 or less (Aliexpress discounts etc reach to many things) and spending a few months with them while getting familiar with FR graphs. This way you might reach 80-90% accuracy when getting something more expensive.
Now that is an excellent tip! It's a relatively cheap way to compare IEMs and FR graphs to get you familiar with different tuning. Love it.
Can someone suggest some balanced sounding iem around 50$ ,
I'm not a good resource for this but I know I saw Moondrop Chu or Tin Audio T2 on a couple of reviews. Maybe look up some reviews on Head-Fi.
@@sevensoulcostanza ok
Not using apple lossless??
I do not use Apple music service or use ALAC files. I use Spotify since my family uses it, but I strive try to buy all my favorite albums in FLAC files so I rely less on Spotify.
Sound signatures are overrated because EQ exists and you can fix it as you like. Obviously it's better and easier to just plug and play, but if you din't have enough bass it's not the reason to throw IEMs out, just raise its level in EQ.
That's very true. I just recently started playing around with Wavelet app on my DAP to EQ my IEMs so maybe I'll make a video about it later trying to EQ the deficiencies as a learning experience.
If you need someone you can trust when it comes to bass, it's HBB.
That's why he's one of my favorites. Plus he listens to Geto Boys, 2Pac, Big Boi, etc
😎
Also have different iems for different genres. Have flavours as a single IEM can't do it all.
Yup, great tip. Part of the hobby is experimenting with different IEMs, sources, cables, tips, etc.
There this $635 Unique Melody Mest japan and I have one I was surprised by the tactile bass and extended treble that the expensive $3k to $6k IEM provide I can enjoy on a $635 set!
I wonder if I'd be wowed by a $3K+ set if I heard it or couldn't tell the difference between a way cheaper set!
@@sevensoulcostanza try the Canpur Cp622b its bone conduction drivers give tactile bass you can feel in the ear like subwoofer and surprisingly it doesn't have a DD it's ba est and bc but the bc gives it tactile bass no dd needed
Mistake #4 is fortunately the only mistake I did, bought the Aria 2021 based off so many reviews back then and it does sound smooth(compared to my cheap KZs) but it was intensely boring and since it was covid I used it for 6 months trying to justify it with tip rolling + eq and all but I just sell it because there was no point(with the paint chipped, yay). I listen to 40% metal(thrash, heavy, death, Nu), 30% EDM(Dubstep, Techno, Trance, etc), and 30% other genres(Rock, Pop, Punk) and the 2021 Arias was just...okay for all of them, nothing mindblowing or amazing like the reviewers said.
Didn't buy any IEMs over 15 USD since then until months ago I snatched an used Quartet for 60 bucks and right out of the box I loved it, no reviewer notes just buying it because of the description of the IEMs. Mistake #1 and #4 should be a lesson for folks trying to research for new IEMs, because nobody has the exact same taste in music (although my taste in music are unusual compared to the typical reviewer in all fairness)
i got same taste for music genre, metal (thrash, prog, instrumental & death) being my fav thn comes rock, pop, punk & psychedelic rock. iem i use frequently are tanchjim 4u ultra, cklvx D41 with Onix alpha Xi1 dac.
That is very true. I might listen to hip-hop and drum and bass, but not everyone listens to the same artists I do. But once I listened to a set with my own music library, I learned pretty quickly if I like the tuning or not.
Should i buy budget iem? I only listen to 320 kbps max.
I say yes! Start somewhere and start at low budget to know what you really want.
one of my mistake, if you live in a tropical country, check if an iem has any moisture buildup issue
moisture kill the iem in no time, one iem lasted only 3 months with me from KZ, TRN iem lasted more than a year 😅
i live in southeast asia my i never had have moisture build up issue so far my iem is tin t2 already 5 years old still going strong till today maybe yours is balanced armature driver iems? i heard BA driver are prone to high humidity?
I've never had to deal with any humidity issues but that's a good tip to check for moisture buildup. I'm thinking maybe a desiccant would work when storing IEMs.
This happened with me too I listen to big room house, mainstage music, edm a lot then pop and little bit of everything and the first iem I purchased was hexa I was so disappointed I exchanged it with fudu but still it is also not my Ideal sound I always feel like I've not weared it correctly hence not getting good seal becouse of less bass
I feel you on that. Is it too late to return? Or are you looking at restocking fees and return shipping costs that outweigh the actual cost of the Fudu? Maybe if you're stuck with them you might just want to do some tip rolling to see if you can get better bass.
Same happened with me. Currently waiting for the hexas to get sold😓
@@sevensoulcostanza no it has been a few months so I've to keep them. I did tip rolling (they come with divinus tips) so yeah experience is better than hexa but still not amazed by them.
@@amirajtrambadia3368 oh.. how much time it has been since you purchased it? Coz you can exchange them
@@amirajtrambadia3368 how much time has it been since you purchased it try to exchange if you can with another iem that you'll like
Mistake #4 can be perceived from the different perspective. Even if most of reviewers hates/underappreciate/pays no attention on some particular IEM, you might love these IEMs anyway as it was for me with QKZ HBB Hades and 7HZ Dioko. Hades has best (in terms of quantity) bass yet I lowered the midbass via EQ and Dioko has endgame treble I'm obsessed with. Overall I consider myself as BASShead degenerate #muddybassforever
Yes absolutely! Trust your own ears! And #TeamBassHead LFG!!
facts I am looking for some iems to run with my 5th gen ipod and I would really like something that works for bass but clearity is something I wouldnt mind trying either where those top ends really come through any recomemdations would really be appreciated.
Look for IEMs with V shaped sound signature. On such example is KZ Castor Bass.
First figure out your budget. You can find a bassy set for a reasonable price, like the QKZ x Hades for $50 USD. I know HBB has a Basshead list on his IEM ranking list, but a majority of those are well over $500 USD for most of them. I'd recommend into looking for a set that you could return within 30 days, but many retailers do charge restocking fees so keep that in mind.
@@sevensoulcostanza thanks I really appreciate I hope to see more from your Channel !
@@sonni7138 Thanks! I hope you stick around, and also happy hunting!
The sound demo is best to compare them.
Absolutely, especially if you can compare IEMs to a IEM that you are very familiar with.
You could try to tune it
I have since sold my Variations but I do mess around with EQ nowadays.
wow...it's so weird, I came to the exact same conclusion as you did a few weeks ago. I realized you should never go off of things like price, or reviews. Apparently every reviewer is obsessed with only flat, clear, crisp, clarity. If headphones or IEMs have any bass or sparkly highs, they say they're horrible. They must only listen to spoken word if they are that obsessed with clarity. I understand they're looking at it from a mixing/mastering perspective where they need to do critical listening...but the majority of us are just trying to listen to our favorite music and have fun. I bought the HD600s years ago because I was told by many reviewers how amazing they are. They are nice, but they're boring as hell to listen to, first time listening to V-shape headphones blew me away and I couldn't believe how much better my music and games sounded using them. I like bad guy good audio reviews for the same reason, he looks at it from a consumer stand point rather than a mixing one. Great video!
Exactly! Critical music listening to me includes head nodding to the beat and that will never go away no matter how old I get! I'm glad you liked the video!
Thanks my friend
I did the same mistake and my library is identical to yours, now am stuck with etymotic and variations, they actually sound very good but that lack of bass always turns me off every-time
Any recommendations of iem that are v -shaped with very clean sound and instrumental separation even if there10
I will try to do a good research on them
The tricky part is trying to figure out a way to listen to all of them at the same time to compare without spending a fortune.
I am using IE200.
@@mormsophen3238 What do you think of them?
@@sevensoulcostanza definitely amazing. even tho it came with a very cheap accessories, i can't stop loving it. I can just buy a new cable and ear tips.
@@mormsophen3238 Yes! Thankfully you can tip roll and cable roll fairly inexpensively.
@2:42 that panning shot made me feel how the variations was a mistake
I finally got rid of my Variations.
@@sevensoulcostanza looking forward to find out your perfect pair
@@mojobalaos5611 Ha! That pursuit never ends! 😃
some of them are unavoidable like in most places there is nowhere to audition most of the brands that are being reviewed, another would be that buying from aliexpress you don´t have any kind of returning policy, at least not if you didn't like the sound firm for instance, it must have an evident problem like a broken shell or cable and you have to back it up very well with proof to be eligible for a product return. Then there's the learning curve to understand the terms and what they really mean to your ears with your music. Some brands will have every reviewer out there making a vid about their newest release even in the same couple of days the brand dictates them to, so you may get a storm of hype and stimulation to get said product, while other brands prefer to keep their products reviewed by a few or even none, that doesn't mean they are not as good or even better than the ones everybody have listened about. Finally other factors like price, shell physycal attractiveness also alter ones path through the hobby. So just enjoy while knowing you will make some worng and also some good decisions in your way in.
Very true. I just hope that I can prevent others from making expensive, possibly preventable, mistakes as they explore the hobby.
I like classical music and vocals the most , so I'm hoping the kz eda balanced would hopefully suit my needs . I will be able get the set of 3 for 18 dollars or so by conversion , there's no audiophile store nearby and I am quite sensitive to sibilant trebles and rarely listen to things with bass . I can't afford more than 20 dollars , so I'm hoping to blind buy the kz eda . What would you suggest ? Have you tried the kz eda ? Reviewers haven't covered it much , but some did say the tuning is much better than standard kz house tuning .
People who have knowledge about this please reply ! I'm worried about the quality control issues of moondrop Chu 2 or else I would have gone for it . Others I consider are tangzu wan'er sg , kz zex , CCA CRA , kz zsn pro etc . This will be my first iem .
KZ does a bait and switch honestly, I wouldn't recommend them.
Maybe try for the TRN Conch. Pricier though (25 USD where I live). Also, most treble-centric/focused IEMs are fatiguing, which is normal. If any, just EQ it. It's generously accessorized and you can experiment how you like your sound.
If you want something safer, go for the Truthear Gate. Everything is A-OK except maybe some sibilance in the upper trebles. My friend who's normally treble-sensitive doesn't find it too harsh compared to the Simgot EW200. Plus, this one's 2-pin compared to Conch's QDC, so if you want to continue the hobby, you have more choices cuz of 2-pin.
@@sylfraeaveniore2684 another thing to note is there's only a couple of online sites that sell audiophile products ( and when it comes to accessible service networks or physical stores or other alternatives it's very much non existent ) , and on top of the quality control issues with chi fi iems regardless of the brand or model , these sites have a very bad reputation for getting delayed delivery , missing items , faulty products (which they claim they will replace but then they give excuses and customer ends up giving up on iems and going back to regular budget earphones , coz at least they will be available with better quality control though with mediocre sound . Stuff like kz is more widely available and from reputed sellers , and even if eda has quality control issues , I'm hoping at least 1 or 2 of the 3 will work for at least for an year or two . Typical Kz tuning might not be something that I would like and hence this toned down and tamer eda series feels will be more suitable . Kz is available on Amazon and this being my first iem I hope to be better prepared for failures by paying less and getting better delivery and returns or replacement . If I get a moondrop Chu 2 or truthear gate from these not so good websites ( most people have experienced their devices failing within months and the sound and quality not being as good as they expected from the rave reviews and hype , not to mention it being uncomfortable to wear for longer listening sessions and it requiring higher volumes to get proper clarity leading to ear fatigue and pronounced sibilance issues ) . So no matter which company or model it becomes a lottery or gamble on hoping you get a good pair , that's why my odds feel better with kz eda coz it's 3 in 1 , and even if the other 2 are not tuned well out of the set of 3 I can compensate with equaliser . I don't think all 3 will fail at once and since it's 2 years old the discount is really appealing. I mainly need a very balanced and as close to neutral without it being completely boring type of iems . Salnotes zero for some reason from all the reviewers I feel will not be a good fit or suitable for my taste. Truthear hola came really close but then it's discontinued and is still on the pricier side of things I can afford . Also the replacement cables for other brands cost almost as much as a new pair of iem , only kz cable is available at a relatively reasonable price , so even if others are better tuned (with had fit and not suitable for longer listening sessions ) but if either the iem or its cable stops working in 2 or 3 months then it's going to be a waste of money that would be hard to afford once , not at all possible twice . With inflation going high I feel you get less quality for a recently released new pair of 20 dollars iem than a few years old pair of 20 dollars iem .
sylfraeaveniore2684 another thing to note is there's only a couple of online sites that sell audiophile products ( and when it comes to accessible service networks or physical stores or other alternatives it's very much non existent ) , and on top of the quality control issues with chi fi iems regardless of the brand or model , these sites have a very bad reputation for getting delayed delivery , missing items , faulty products (which they claim they will replace but then they give excuses and customer ends up giving up on iems and going back to regular budget earphones , coz at least they will be available with better quality control though with mediocre sound . Stuff like kz is more widely available and from reputed sellers , and even if eda has quality control issues , I'm hoping at least 1 or 2 of the 3 will work for at least for an year or two . Typical Kz tuning might not be something that I would like and hence this toned down and tamer eda series feels will be more suitable . Kz is available on Amazon and this being my first iem I hope to be better prepared for failures by paying less and getting better delivery and returns or replacement . If I get a moondrop Chu 2 or truthear gate from these not so good websites ( most people have experienced their devices failing within months and the sound and quality not being as good as they expected from the rave reviews and hype , not to mention it being uncomfortable to wear for longer listening sessions and it requiring higher volumes to get proper clarity leading to ear fatigue and pronounced sibilance issues ) . So no matter which company or model it becomes a lottery or gamble on hoping you get a good pair , that's why my odds feel better with kz eda coz it's 3 in 1 , and even if the other 2 are not tuned well out of the set of 3 I can compensate with equaliser . I don't think all 3 will fail at once and since it's 2 years old the discount is really appealing. I mainly need a very balanced and as close to neutral without it being completely boring type of iems . Salnotes zero for some reason from all the reviewers I feel will not be a good fit or suitable for my taste. Truthear hola came really close but then it's discontinued and is still on the pricier side of things I can afford . Also the replacement cables for other brands cost almost as much as a new pair of iem , only kz cable is available at a relatively reasonable price , so even if others are better tuned (with had fit and not suitable for longer listening sessions ) but if either the iem or its cable stops working in 2 or 3 months then it's going to be a waste of money that would be hard to afford once , not at all possible twice . With inflation going high I feel you get less quality for a recently released new pair of 20 dollars iem than a few years old pair of 20 dollars iem .
@sylfraeaveniore2684 another thing to note is there's only a couple of online sites that sell audiophile products ( and when it comes to accessible service networks or physical stores or other alternatives it's very much non existent ) , and on top of the quality control issues with chi fi iems regardless of the brand or model , these sites have a very bad reputation for getting delayed delivery , missing items , faulty products (which they claim they will replace but then they give excuses and customer ends up giving up on iems and going back to regular budget earphones , coz at least they will be available with better quality control though with mediocre sound . Stuff like kz is more widely available and from reputed sellers , and even if eda has quality control issues , I'm hoping at least 1 or 2 of the 3 will work for at least for an year or two . Typical Kz tuning might not be something that I would like and hence this toned down and tamer eda series feels will be more suitable . Kz is available on A m a z o n and this being my first iem I hope to be better prepared for failures by paying less and getting better delivery and returns or replacement . If I get a moondrop Chu 2 or truthear gate from these not so good websites ( most people have experienced their devices failing within months and the sound and quality not being as good as they expected from the rave reviews and hype , not to mention it being uncomfortable to wear for longer listening sessions and it requiring higher volumes to get proper clarity leading to ear fatigue and pronounced sibilance issues ) . So no matter which company or model it becomes a lottery or gamble on hoping you get a good pair , that's why my odds feel better with kz eda coz it's 3 in 1 , and even if the other 2 are not tuned well out of the set of 3 I can compensate with equaliser . I don't think all 3 will fail at once and since it's 2 years old the discount is really appealing. I mainly need a very balanced and as close to neutral without it being completely boring type of iems . Salnotes zero for some reason from all the reviewers I feel will not be a good fit or suitable for my taste. Truthear hola came really close but then it's discontinued and is still on the pricier side of things I can afford . Also the replacement cables for other brands cost almost as much as a new pair of iem , only kz cable is available at a relatively reasonable price , so even if others are better tuned (with having fit and seal issues and not suitable for longer listening sessions ) but if either the iem or its cable stops working in 2 or 3 months then it's going to be a waste of money that would be hard to afford once , not at all possible twice . With inflation going high I feel you get less quality for a recently released new pair of 20 dollars iem than a few years old pair of 20 dollars iem .
thanks a million!!!!!!
I'm glad you liked the video! I hope I helped save you money on your journey!
And if you dont want an iem for just music ? I want a pair for fps games, and youtube content and music once in a blue moon
If music quality is secondary to gaming & streaming video, I would focus more on getting a neutral sound signature IEM and the most comfortable fit possible. I don't have this use case so someone more experienced can better answer that for you.
@@sevensoulcostanza i ordered a pair of Sgor Luna, had kz zs10 pro x, tangzu waners jade for 10 days and they sounded the same and decent, people say they are trash... hope the Lunas are a bit better for double the cost
I see you got the Scarlet Minis, how do you like them? I myself also a basshead and got the QKZ x HBB Hades. I love the bass rumble on my set and i'm cosidering to upgrade it to Scarlets. What do you think?
I've been meaning to check out those Hades especially for the price. I can probably use them sparingly and use them as a backup. As for the Scarlets, I was fortunate enough to listen to them during a week long tour. So I had more than enough time to throw a good sample size of my library at them. I'm sure you've seen the reviews, and yes I can confirm. These are super BASS HEAVY and they were very addicting to listen to. I am currently shopping for a pair myself now. I will say though that the mids are a bit recessed but it wasn't distracting enough for me to care. And the highs get high so if you're treble sensitive, just keep that in mind. I would highly suggest you try and demo them first, as they do cost $640 USD so they are not cheap and you don't want to be stuck with them if you don't like them. Or just be prepared to resell them which can be quite a hassle.
@@sevensoulcostanza Let me warn you about the Hades, bro… They are like 1990’s low-rider level of subwoofer nuttiness. Not that it’s bad, but clarity is not one of its strong suits!
@@ScottCStew You know for around $50 USD, I'll take my chances if it isn't exactly the best in other areas. Sometimes you just want a fun listening experience.
Glad my blindbuy mistake is the cheap one, is the chu 2
Smart man! I'm over here looking at my $500 IEMs that I only listen to like every few weeks. 😆
Yes unfortunately reviewers are under pressure to say only good things when they’re dealing with their main supplier. I think we have the same tastes in audio, what is your current iem if you don’t mind me asking? I’ve spent thousands in my lifetime trying to find the right stuff all to no avail 😅😢
The reviewer issue with retailers / manufacturers is another black hole I've looked into briefly. Unless a reviewer has tons of disposable income to purchase products themselves to review, it's hard to trust non-biased reviewers.
As for my current set up, I'm using Focus EDMs at the moment while I try to find a deal on Scarlet Minis. The Focus EDMs were about $400 USD cheaper than the Variations and have a bass boosted tuning that I enjoy. Overall, it does feel like a cheaply built pair of IEMs, but they get the job done for now.
You listen to the same music as me. The Westone Mach 70 is ideal.
It's on my radar now.
Quite difficult to find somewhere to tryout inears, so, I got the simgot em6l from amazon after listening to the headphone show. Horrible in ear, sounds nasal due to a peak at 1khz…some instruments like bass, bassdrum, male vocals disappear while some are just in your face. You need to eq the shit out of that headphone to make it sound good. Better get a pair of airpods pro, they are much more balansed.
Sorry to hear about your struggles with them. I am still learning how to properly EQ so that might be something to experiment with and present in a different video. I hope you found a solution to that set!
@@sevensoulcostanza why not, its an interesting topic. Perhaps overstated when saying that in ear is horrible. I wish it had an eq curve similar to HD650.
My mistake is buying high-end iem. Just buy 100-200 usd iem. And get good headphone. The difference between 1000 usd iem and 200 not worth it.
Yes, I agree. If your ears are fine with a 200 usd IEM, stick with it. I know for me though is that I am naturally curious and willing to experiment so that 200 usd IEM will be upgraded to a 300 usd IEM, then a 400 usd IEM....
EQ?
Yup, this is something I'm trying to learn right now. I think I can get an EQ app for my DAP. I'm not so sure with my iPhone though.
Your video is good! Get a profile picture and channel banner! You'll make it on youtube 👍
Thanks for the kind words and thanks for watching! I know I've been lazy getting a profile picture and banner but I will soon!
The only problem is not enough research for any product!
True. Reviews and FR graphs only take you so far. NOTHING will replace an actual demo of the product with your current set up.
@@sevensoulcostanza I'm talking about excessive research and of cousre a little bit of audio experience....
@@systembooms69 That rabbit hole of research can get deep real quick. I've learned to scale back once I start getting lost.
@@sevensoulcostanza you're right, real deep, but saves you money. No need to get lost!
Reviewers that prefer V-shape are very underrepresented in YT. We need more diversity.
Good video. Spot on. I'm a (midbass) basshead myself. #TeamMud #CarAudioVibes 💪
Indeed.
I blind-bought my Intuaura Luna Plume and it's a very fun IEM. I tried to look for reviews on it, but unfortunately the only ones I could find was from The Audio Store and from a JP Channel. I still went for it but man am I glad.
I heard that the Intuaura View Splendor II (not to be confused with the Splendor Soprano) is a very V-shape sound signature too. It's my next target. I'm giving it a year before buying again (got my Plume last month) so I just wanna enjoy my Plume for as long as I can.
#TeamBassHead LFG!!
@@sylfraeaveniore2684 Sounds like you found a gem! That's got to be a great feeling.
@@sevensoulcostanza Yeah, coming from the Aria after 2 long years, this was definitely a big upgrade. 60 USD into 150 USD got a huge leap.
Applying some EQ, you can reduce the bass-mid bass to make the soundstage seem expansive. That's one way to upgrade it. I got the idea after hearing from some people that theirs came with a DSP cable that made them lose some bass lol. The bass still hits while retaining the imaging and retrieval to details.
@@sylfraeaveniore2684 I feel like I should've started off in the hobby with the cheaper IEMs and grow from there. Putting down $500+ USD for my first pair of IEMs probably wasn't the best idea. Considering now that the IEMs I listen to the most are Focus EDMs and I think I paid $100 USD for them.
Buying mistake: FiiO FA9. No way to fit them properly in my ears with a proper seal and I've tried with a LOT of eartips.
Ouch and those are not a cheap set. Have you sold them and/or bought a different set?
Looking at crin's tier list in 2024 is your most grave mistake. That list is outdated, and you should know the tier list maker's preference. The same applies with reviews.
There're also JM1 signature, Harman IE 2019,... And the Variations should be Harman, not really v shaped.
While chi fi is plagued with QC, moondrop is one of the most notorious, be it IEMs, their phone or their dongles. With Variations you even have variations in tuning.
If you're ever into graph, stick to crin's stuff if you can. He atleast measures with a BnK 5128 for now and an authentic 711 coupler in the past. HBB database is a must avoid, his measusement doesnt look like he put any effort into it
Exactly why I included those reasons in my mistakes. At the end of the day, I can only trust my own ears.
Side note! Roc Marciano!!! 😇
"Broke generational curses with my cursive". 🔥
I’d offer a potential revision to your first point. Don’t buy IEMs which have weaknesses aimed at your music library. But, to think that we need separate IEMs for different genres really misses a key point.
If rap need bass-boosted, acoustic needs mids but cut bass, etc it’s saying that the sound engineers have no idea what they’re doing. Rap, metal, etc have loads of bass already in the source material. An IEM that can’t reproduce that is failing on one of that music’s key elements. But, one IEM should be able to serve you well for all genres.
I think this is meaningfully mistaken. Classical and metal sound much better with different tunings. Music isn't mixed with a shared standard. Also personal preferences can differ by genre. Dusk is amazing for 50% of what I listened to, but poor for 30%.
People literally buy other IEMs cuz it's their hobby to try them out... And they sell them once they're done with them or when they don't like the sound.
If you're really picky about how an IEM isn't tuned for your library, just EQ. The most practical response.
Very true. But many music lovers in this hobby do enjoy having a collection of IEMs for various genres and/or use cases. Me, I know what I like so I have no reason to buy an additional IEM that might be bright, for example, which would be for a very small reason for me especially genre wise.
@@hartyewh1 I agree with you there. Different genres benefit from different tunings.
@@sylfraeaveniore2684 This is a whole new level that I haven't explored yet. But yes, EQ is there for a reason so why not use it to get that exact sound you want.
Bro can you please put a profile picture so that I can easily recognize your content, name are hard to remember.
Lol I haven't even though of that. I'm not much of graphic designer but I'll try making a logo or something.
I'm a revanced scrub that uses his phone with s crappy set of wireless earbuds
i mostly listen to edt, techno, DnB, dubstep, so yeah bass head
Team Basshead, LFG! But let me tell you, once you get a quality pair of IEMs or TWS, it will absolutely change your listening experience.
@@sevensoulcostanza yeah i know I'll get one later down the line
@@iSamYTBackup It will be worth it. Especially when you can't wait to listen to music through them. It's an awesome feeling.
I dont really agree with the whole subjectivity thing. I think the issue is this community (mostly just iems and headphones), has a quite flawed idea of what neutral actually is. There are so many measurement rigs, standards, target curves, and overall "frequency response theory", that its often difficult to make any meaningful sense of measurements without having gone DEEEEEEEEEP down the rabbithole.
In my opinion, any device that sounds like an anechoically flat speaker with good directivity, will fit all genres
I spent hours trying to understand measurement rigs and target curves. It wasn't a total waste of time for me, but at the end, I realized that I will like what I like and no graph can prove that. I still look at graphs, but I just use them as a starting point nowadays.
@@sevensoulcostanza "end, I realized that I will like what I like and no graph can prove that". The graphs will prove it. Your interpretations may not. You may see a graph that doesn't look flat but you like it, and for example it could actually psychoacoustically follow the jbl synthesis "arcos" curve which essentially is closer to what flat speakers in a *typical* room sounds like.
The answer isn't to reject the validity of graphs for subjectivity, but to get better at interpreting them
@@niccster1061 Valid point. Graphs are a valuable tool which is why I still look at them when doing research.
Blind buy is the only option in countries like India😢 btw, which iem are tou happy with finally?
@@amirajtrambadia3368 my advice is too go for either legato or quartet they're opposites of hexa and there's a high chance you'll love em
@@amirajtrambadia3368 my suggestion is to buy either legato or quartet
My advice is to get either legato or quartet coz they're the type of sets which are quite opposite to Hexa.
Believe it or not, I listen to my Focus EDMs almost all the time. The bass is pretty good for a $100ish IEM, but it is lacking in other area such as build quality. My hunt will never end.
haha trying to save money in this hobby. good luck.
This hobby....it never ends. The chase will forever be there.
eq is goat
I need to learn to EQ so bad. What's a good resource you use?
Just experiment. The best way. Go off other recommendations too
@@kona328WH Yes, I am currently messing around with the Wavelet app.
Sorry i have Elysian Pilgrim
How do you like them?
@@sevensoulcostanza mmm so so , i prefer Oracle Mk3 , the main difference is the presentation of the sound
Pilgrim clear
Oracle Mk3 is more fuller and bassier
@@SaulAlvarezzzz I love the look of aluminum shells but I can't say they are comfortable for me. Plus the Oracle MK3 being the bassier set already got my attention!