Based on the IEMs I know you like, I think you would really dig the Fiio FF3s. Just in case you ever decide to look for another earbud in the future. They have this big, powerful presentation that’s very engaging. Check out the Earbuds Round-up thread over on Headfi and you’ll see me and a cool dozen or more other folks over there praising them quite a bit.
They’re generally available for $85-$89 (sometimes even cheaper like during 11.11) from the Fiio store on AliExpress and that’s without coupons and they can hold their own with the big boys. I have a lot of high end buds in my collection and have tried and sold many more while building it and the FF3 has stuck around and gets plenty of listening time too. Based on your love of Serial and some others I think they’d likely be a better match for you than Serratus.
So after checking out reviews (and what was readily available on Amazon) I got the FAAEAL Iris 2.0 and it’s pretty ridiculous how good it is at such a cheap price. Initial impressions are that I would actually equate it to around a $200 IEM/headphone (Kato/HD6XX) which is quite the insane dollar value in comparison!
My only issue would be that it is a bit warm and quite bass-heavy. That second point can easily be rectified with PEQ, for example: (100Hz, -3.2 dB, Q=0.5)
Everything else is very good, especially the technicalities.
I’ve got a TGX Ripples coming and can’t wait to compare it!
Just a note on that particular Cocteau Twins track, tried it on some other sets, it’s definitely the track and how it was put together, no foul by Serratus.
Just thought I would give an update on this. So, wearing the earbuds more comfortably with the HieGi foams and the stems hanging straight down actually results in similar bass impact WITHOUT EQ. This also opens up the soundstage a bit.
I think when I was twisting and shoving the heck out of the earbuds in my ears (making the stem go 45 degrees towards eyes) they were sort of forming a seal which was boosting the bass probably more than the tuner intended.
FAR more comfortable this time around, and the material isn’t causing my ears to go beet red and itch like hell. Also the foams are wide/plush enough to make contact with the concha, making them less prone to falling out/pulling on my ear.
As for sound, my comments on resolution are still the same, but the foams alleviated the treble issue I was having by darkening the sound.
There are many different thicknesses, densities, and types of foams you can try. They can be used to tune earbuds much like tips are used on IEMs or pads on headphones. I’m glad the HieGis worked pretty well for you, though. They are amongst the most comfortable foams out there, for sure.
My dad loves music just as much as I do and I figured for Christmas I can get him something better than I usually do, he’s a bluetooth kind of guy so I was just wondering what would be some good TWS earbuds options? He listens to mostly rock and edm
I don’t do the TWS thing so I have nothing as far as recs go. I was just posting because this thread is generally about flathead or “old school” eatbuds and not the TWS kind that gets inserted into the ear canal so you’ll probably get more replies if you crosspost this to IEMs. Good luck and happy hunting!
Honestly? The usual from Amazon since fit/comfort and usability will probably be the biggest issue so a quick and easy return if they don’t work well for him would be a good idea.
And then in that case, the usual culprits are recommended: galaxy buds 2/pro, airpods pro 1/2, wf-1000xm4, akg n400
They seem to be more along the lines of “satisfied with sound” but the only description I could find was neutral bright… will have to consider taking one for the team - I think they are around €55 at the moment so not to bad.
May as well ask your thoughts on the EBX21 whilst I have a bud aficionado here - can pick them up for around €95 new and wanted to know how they compete with higher end offerings from TGXears, VE & Rikubuds.
By the way - your NS shilling (jokes) had me pick up the LCP 80ohm in DIY driver & Copper shell also. Bad influence - will report back.
I hope you like the NSC 80ohm LCPs. They’re quite the pickup for the money. The EBX21s are very detailed with a pretty big soundstage. The treble is bright (too bright for some people) and the bass is tight and articulate, but some find it lacking. For me the EBX21 is more of a specialist bud for critical listening and it’s very good for that.
- will report back.