T2 was my first IEM too and I didn’t like it (granted I didn’t know about tip rolling at the time) but I like my bass… And i didn’t buy another IEM for a year after that because I thought that’s how IEM sounded.
If I was giving myself this advice knowing what I know now I would be really happy with Dunu Titan S and GS Audio GD3A. That’s about $200 for both of them and you get to try a few different tonality and driver type. And both of these iems have good accessories so if you are done then you are set.
sorry for stealing the topic, I’m also looking for something that is warmish not too bassy, not too flat. and I care about soundstage & imaging. which one do you suggest under $200?
waiting for your comparison S12 VS Hana VS Midnight
I’m really curious about planar timbre. From what I understand, it might be a good fit for rock and punk. I don’t know about jazz though.
Still debating and I’m not in a hurry. I did not consider buying 2 sets for the same budget but that might also be an option to test different tonalities.
The problem with buying a single IEM can be: Even if it is the perfect one for you, if you didn’t try any other IEMs, you don’t know if it is perfect for you and you may keep wondering what other IEMs sound like. So it depends…
If you just want an IEM that sounds good and go on with your life: Buy the S12 and stop thinking about IEMs.
If you want to find the best IEM suited to your ears/preferences: Better to split your budget and buy multiple IEMs. (My humble suggestion: Buy something like S12, Mele and CCA CRA… this gives you not only an idea how IEMs sound different, but also how they sound different at different price points). Oh, and of course: If you get a chance to testdrive IEMs without buying them, do as much as you can of that, even if the IEM in question isn’t interesting to you. Not to learn about the IEMs, but to learn about your preference.
I would start off with the CCA CRA just to make sure you can get a good seal with your ear holes or find some ear tips that provide a good seal and comfort. If you like them, you can toss in a cheap upgrade cable to see how the extra weight feels.
Best to have a few different pairs of IEMs for whatever music you feel like listening to anyway.
The Conexant (CX-Pro) CX31993 is a good, cheap dongle DAC. There is even an USB C to USB A adaptor kit option to use on computers without USB C. It is a great looking alternative to the plastic USB C Apple Dongle.
The CRA is good out of the box. The medium tips worked for me. The cable isn’t great: no chin slider, doesn’t wrap too well, and feels cheap; but it isn’t bad either: the mic worked on the mic version, the cable is comfortable behind the ears, and the plug is angled for a nice change.
Jade audio ea1 sounds about right. Great timbre, slightly boosted bass and treble, with good and slightly recessed mids. It has one one of the most common iem shapes, and is a great fit for me.
