IEM discussion thread (Part 1)

Thanks man! Glad you like.m Thanks for detailed writeup…particularly tracks used :notes:

Fucking Clazzic :notes: :pinched_fingers:

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thank you
regards

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All right 5 hours with the Penon 10th Anniversary. I definitely don’t find it offensive or fatiguing in anyway. Bass is tight, snappy and has excellent midbass texture and punch. It’s got a really sound for kick drums and such that seem to benefit from the tighter faster response. My problem is the elevated upper midrange takes away from the presence when the ranges come more into play on guitars and they become to forward. Which may be to others liking as it gives a the sound of typical stage setup with the drummer being behind the guitarists. For me to make this IEM really shine for bass I need some X-Bass on a lot of tracks.

Speaking of the upper range from before I think it’s implemented well if you like the overall tuning. It has aggression and enough bite but, isn’t overly done. Seems the 2.5k-4k peak sounds just as it graphs with no extra emphasis in the frequencies.

Further down the frequency I will say that cymbals and such do at least sound relative to the placement of drummer. Extension suffers a bit though it’s sufficient. When I use XBass they sort of come out of line and don’t sound one with the drummer. So it’s a double edge sword here how I feel about the bass when adding cohesiveness of the instruments that really play into utilizing both ends of the spectrum.

The 10th Anniversary set overall is a probably a great competitor to those who like a V-Shape tuning that’s not to aggressive. Surprisingly this one of the first V-Shapes that I can crank fairly loud and not fatigue. This set would would probably really be enjoyed by those that have a Metal or EDM library. As for V-Shapes this is the highest valued set I’ve tried. Hopefully I can get my ears on some more top dollar ones in the future. My gut tells me though these are a serious front runner to those and could get you there without dropping $1k.

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:smirk:

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:eyes: Your DIY??

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Okay, some notes on the Helios SE so far:
The Subbass and Highs are pretty perfect to my ears. I think a lot of people will be fooled into thinking these have a DD if they don’t know the config.
Vocals are clean and clear, not spicy or subdued. I am not famously a mid-head so vocal fans may want to weigh the opinions of those who are.
Imaging and panning is great, as is the separation in particular. Dynamics are VERY solid as well, IMO.
I can’t do a comparison to the OG Helios as I have never had/heard it, but man, if they’re close to this then I am surprised they don’t get more love.
Fit of the new shell is flawless in my ears, they are light and no hotspots so far. If you have small ears, these are probably a go.
I know that they are limited 50/50, but Symphonium joked about HBB’s flub where he said 500. I think they should absolutely do these like the MkII to the SA6U, but keep the tuning right where it is. If these don’t lead to a regularly available unit or successor, it would be a shame.


I’ll try to come back with more notes after I have time with them leading into the weekend.

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EDXS





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yeah, originally wanted to try putting a BC driver that will rumble the shell, alongside a DD but doesnt fit in such a small shell.

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It definitely agree they hopefully offer more and don’t touch the tuning. I’ll leave part of what in our group chat here,” SE is like nice crisp mountain air on a cool day with a slight breeze. Sipping a smooth IPA on with the little bird singing sweet melodys.”

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pre-made shells or did you print/mold them yourself?
Been contemplating getting a resin printer to try it out - maybe even transplanting a PR2 into a custom mold.

I am going to be visiting family in Asia this summer and was planning to spend a few days in Tokyo / Japan. I saw Crin’s video about e-earphone and plan to pop in for a visit. I’ve started a small list of tips that I might be interested in buying but was wondering if there any specific IEMs that might be worth trying? Just trying to narrow down the options as I won’t have 5 hours to kill.

This is a pre-made shell. Feels like KZ quality plastic.

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Well, damn.


Now I really need to question just HOW did they make this.


(10 000 usd btw)

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Bruh. I hate Chi-fi sometimes, but thank god for Chi-fi :joy:

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For every overdone or garbage piece of Chi-fi, we get something like EA500 which would’ve been Oxygen priced 2-3 years ago.

So yeah, they giveth and they taketh away lol

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Wish they would’ve gave more and took less :smiling_face_with_tear:

I’m too poor for them to give too much more though :slight_smile:

FIIO FD11

First evening with FD11 also my first ever FIIO, not a technical marvel but a very pleasant and fun sound. Just wanted to warn in on the fit, another one on head-fi asked if more than him had problems with getting good seal.

They are not the easiest to get a good seal with, and when its lost the sound is thin without almost no low end. Tried between 10-15 different tips and only 2 types worked good for me, JVC Spiral Dot and Moondrop Sprintips(both are soft and big that help). I believe it is a mix of the shell and nozzle angle/length giving problems, to bad as its quite small and ergonomic otherwise.

Also the circular insert for cable is 2 pin and makes most after market cables not fit perfect. The long pin flat style works.

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The Truthear Zero: Red solves most of my quibbles with the original Zero. Like its predecessor, it is an unqualified recommendation at its asking price. However, the IEM market has continued to progress in the year since the original Zero was released, and the Zero: Red is less revolutionary now than it might have been if released earlier. I cannot help but wish we had received this version of the Zero in lieu of the original.

My full review is up in my HiFiGuides thread and on my blog.

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Timmy’s coming through clutch with the P8 graph, hot off the griddle:





If this is at or under $400…:face_with_monocle::upside_down_face::thinking::face_with_raised_eyebrow:

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