These are some good options that I have rescued from the web and that I think can work well. I listen to a wide variety of music genres but predominantly chill out dance, accoustic, electronic-dance, soundtracks, 90s pop and ambient.
I value instrumental separation very much.
Their use is sporadic so I don’t want to spend more than 400€.
Please vote as long as you have some certainty. No external rumours.
So you might be looking for an IEM with good imaging and separation, right? If you listen to acoustics and orchestra, then timbre and coherency are also important. So IMO the Oxygen (Olina has better staging but bass quality falls a tad short) if you want all of those. Or maybe Penon Serial, but not sure if imaging is as good as the Oxygen (@rattlingblanketwoman thoughts?)
If you value instrument separation then stay away from any DD iems, they’re just not good at that. However, coherency, timbre and upper-treble (above 10k) goes definitely for dynamic drivers. Anyway, BA are known for their instrument separation or initial edge, they are so sharp in that regard and for this BA usually have sharper imaging. I would recommend to save more and to get the Dunu Sa6, I haven’t heard it but from the FR it seems to match your genre perfectly, and without DD that can bleed into the mids sometimes.
If you don’t mind playing with switches then it’s the cannon you’re looking for. However if you don’t like the hassle and are looking for an versatile IEM without needing to do anything, then I’d go with the Tea 2’s, or Penon Serial. Probably should wait tho since more IEMs are coming out
Personal bias here, but so far when it comes to it being multi-purpose of use, whether would it be music listening, video editing, gaming, etc. My Katos have done me a great job when it comes to it being multi-purpose.
Despite on what I say about it, I am pretty sure there are more IEMs that are better than it for both price and performance.
I second to @nymz I’m loving my Tea2 everyday. It has been my go to IEM at work and at home because of the great isolation.
However I cannot compare this to Tea OG and others.
I listen to Pop, R&B (with catchy beats) and Acoustics, I love the forward vocal presentation and the bass it brings. I can hear every drum beat and guitar strums with clarity.
I voted for the 7Hz Timeless and Letshuoer S12 which are both very detailed for the price and have good layering and separation albeit not the widest soundstage.
I would rank the Blessing 2 Dusk slightly above the Timeless for tonality and soundstage. Soundstage improves with these with wide bore tips, I use Whizzer SS20 sound field tips on the Timeless and Moondrop Spring Tips on the S12.
I’d put the S12 a little behind the Timeless, on tonality, I prefer the Timeless. It’s still very good, and less $.
If soundstage factors in to “instrumental separation”, like if that’s what you mean, the Tripowin Olina has next level soundstage, beyond any other IEM I have. For tonality though I’d still take the Dusk or Timeless and both have an edge on detail as well I think.
Out of the entire list, I’ve only heard the Timeless my self but from others impressions of these sets, I would say that the Timeless is an overall amazing set, with one potential caveat, it does have a lot of energy in the upper ranges that could be jarring to some. If you’re not ready to EQ, then the Tea would be safer bet. For me personally, the Timeless is nothing short of amazing. What it lacks in Stage and imaging, it makes up in its sheer incredible resolution and layering.
I ask because there was someone on headfi selling it for $160. I was super tempted but from reading reviews it’s a treble focused iem which I wasn’t looking for
