got qcy t13 anc2 (qcy is a xiaomi sub brand) today for 13$, got nice anc with 4 mics, touch controls, 10mm dd. feltt like a steal at that price and couldn’t ignore the deal.
this is the stock fr
this is my main eq for them
the channel matching seems great considering they are that cheap. sound wise though, without eq it sounds like the graph, subjectively for me way way too much bass and the 6k boost in relative to the dip after it makes the mid treble recessed and soft sounding, like any metal song that gets past 80 bpm sounds like mashed potatoes on them.
with eq it sounds exactly like what you see, sound very nice actually. the only disappointment i had was that these buds cut off at 16200 hz just like you see on the graph, but buds fe and buds 2 pro could reach 19k . the results? it looses a tiny bit of bite, resolution and the shimmer from the cymbals from well recorded songs but other than that it sounds perfect with eq for most of the songs i listen to mainly metal that hardly extend past 12- 15k.
vs the buds fe smsung
they both sound amazing with eq, endgame for 90% of the songs i listen too, both trash can without eq but maybe qcy sounds bit clearer. the qcy handles eq easier around midrange and lower treble meanwhile buds fe responds better with upper treble boost and extension. samsung gets slightly louder. im happy with both sound wise, side grades for me and happy to have both. anc and build quality are similar(both cheap feeling) and battery of the qcy seems similar to fe with my 2 hour test. also the buds fe sounded sidegrade to the buds 2 pro i had so qcy is also a side grade to buds 2 pro a 200$+ tws at retail.
vs a 600$ tribrid “endgame” iem
oracles handle treble boost and reduction better and the extension is also better, you can flatten the 15k peak on it to get smooth sound if you want, it can also get louder with a source like past 90db that i don’t care, other than that the rest of fr can be eqed to what i like just like the qcy. if oracles were 30$ and qcys were13$, i would say its worth getting over qcy sound wise but at 600$ its only worth getting them if you have 50 million in the bank or sth.
overall oracles are slightly better with songs recorded with million dollar budget, like this song (cymbals)
vs my old beyer dynamic and audio technica earphones they are side grades too.
vs my speakers
they both sound very nice, speakers represents the music in a bigger and a more grand way, and qcy is all in head. but i can’t shove the speakers in my ears when im in mountain and trees. both amazing overall, speakers offers better res and treble extension that i can hear a bit past 21000 hz but qcy crushes them in terms of value and practicality.
verdict: if you know how to read frs and are willing to spend half an hour to eq to what you like the best then they are a fantastic deal at sub 20$ budget, without eq they sound soft boomy and low fi unless you want a boomy sound for certain genres. we are at the times of history when we can download the music that took years of effort and money to produce for free, get nice SQ on the go for the cheapest and change the sound with a touch on the smartphone, truly blessed to be alive tbh.