No, I wouldn’t describe them as analytical. I’d say the FH3 are natural with boosted bass, if you are looking for a analytical IEM I think you are better off looking at a neutral bright sound signature.
Maybe, do you have any recommendations?
Exactly.
@benx You should probably take a look at the hz heart mirror, Moondrop SSR and the NF audio NM2+.
My recommendation is to look at @Rikudou_Goku’s recommendations, since the only IEM that falls into that category I’ve tried are the ones you want to upgrade from lol. Only thing that comes to mind is maybe Etymotic er2se, but I haven’t heard it. I’d like to try someday but I’m afraid that long ass insertion is going to dig stuff out if my ears that should be left in peace :P.
Will put a bookmark on this thread for future reference, so please post when you have made a choice and how you like it.
Hmm, I’ve looked at the SSR before it sounds kind of like what I want, but it has a very mixed bag review wise. The hz heart monitor(who came up with that name???) looks interesting, would anyone know a good review of them it seems kind of rather unknown(probs because aliexpress is like the one place to buy them). The NF audio NM2+ look interesting as well, but will the FiiO K3 be enough juice for it?
As for the Etymotic er2se’s, I’ve actually took a quick look at them every now and again because they get recommended quite a bit. The shape of them kind of irks me too, but more because they don’t seem like they would play with 3rd party cables very well.
Thanks again everyone!
None of the ones I mentioned are known to be power hungry. So you shouldnt have problems with playing them even on a smartphone.
ER2 series definitely are well known. Its just that the fit (which I personally cant take…probably) and that they are so much more expensive outside the US that makes me not recommend it that often.
What are your opinions on the P1, they seem a tad bass light, so I would probably eq it up. All the reviews I’ve read says they have great clarity. This kind of leads to what might be a dumb question, but is clarity the same as being analytical? If not then they might not be for me.
You are using the Fiio K3 right? Forget about the P1 then. It needs an absurd amount of power.
Clarity is not the same as analytical. Analytical iem are the ones that are usually on the brighter side and have a thin note weight.
Thank you for clearing that up for me. I’m still pretty new to the audiophile community so I’m still learning about the jargon, and branching out into different things like iem’s.
Yeah the K3 is kind of a light weight, I’d be running them balanced, but still your probably right.
The P1 is more than a tad bass light. I can confirm that the btr5 running balances is PLENTY of power. You could probably go deaf. I’m looking at picking. Up a seeaudio yume, a legacy 3, FH3, or Starfields. So many options.
Yanyin Aladdin would be my pick
Go get the Moondrop Kato, in my opinion everything you need on a sound is there for the price and a much improved version of the Starfield and Aria in my opinion, and this is coming from a guy who has owned 3 IEMs. If you want an alternative, the Timeless 7Hz seems to be rage these days and some said better than the Kato, but I would advise go listen to an IEM that caters to your tastes more.
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I hear good things, but not many reviewers have done videos on these. I think the biggest person on YT that reviewed them bought it himself and only had 2k subscribers. Being only on penonaudio can’t help. They didn’t make it on AE for a while. Overall just seems like bad promotion, almost like they don’t understand how to reach the market. I think these list for $245, and they are obscure enough they aren’t being re-sold by anyone on Amazon.
That seems like a set that some people love, I heard it and thought it was OK, but thought I had heard better sets for less money ( S12 comes to mind ). Given the nearly 20% failure rates on the Aria ( based on the thread here ), I am worried about what their fatal flaw is. I also know that the warrantee doesn’t mean anything to Moondrop, so I am reluctant to give them my money again.
– Also I have two to consider
- At $220 the 7Hz Timeless has to be a contender, but if that gets DQ’d on price, then the Shuoer S12, which is similar but brighter for about $150.
- There is a chance that the $99 Olina might shake up the under $200 DD market, given that it has the driver from the Oxygen, which sells for about $270, and the Olina will have better fit.
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S12 is my favorite under 200 (possibly under 500).
Tuning is bright for some. It was fine for me. But they take EQ well so you can tweak the sound to your liking easily.
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Hey @benx if you’re looking for neutral, clear, and analytical then that would be the Olina or ER4XR. I also just recently did a comparison between the Olina and ER2SE here: 🔶 Tripowin X HBB Olina - #1524 by VIVIDICI_111
Timeless and Olina are about even in resolution, but Timeless sounds thin at times due to the planar driver and probably has more bass than you’d like. Olina is too bright at high volume but that can be fixed with an easy mod as mentioned in the review.
S12 has similar detail as the Timeless and Olina but is sibilant and can’t be modded unlike the Olina.
I’d avoid the FH3 personally since it lacks in resolution and imaging compared to the other two, and the Olina is just a better version of the Kato at half the price after mod.
Edit: Not sure regarding Aladdin anymore 
Personally my pick would be the ER4SR or the Olina 
ER4SR is more neutral where the Olina is neutral-bright. Both are very analytical and clear with one of the best timbre under $200 imo.
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I think doing this today. My first pick would be be Olina, probably with the double mesh mod ( just an extra filter on each nozzle ). It tames the peaks the right amount and leaves you with a really impressive IEM.
I didn’t expect it, but I am splitting time between the Olina and Timeless. I tend to use the Mele or S12 when I am working at my in-laws or outdoors.
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Just wondering, do you have the Aladdin as well?
Edit: Nevermid on the Aladdin
Would love it if someone who owns both can chip in!
I own both. I haven’t done a comparison between the two but I wrote an O2 Vs Aladdin comparison: IEM discussion thread - #2192 by ttorbic.
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Hmmm interesting. Well, I’m not sure anymore Would love it if you can A/B the two!