I’ve been eyeing on xelastec tips. Are they worth a try?
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Aye on the the subject of AZLA how do the SednaEarfit XELASTEC come up size wise compared to say an E Type or Spinfit?
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Size for me:
AZLA - MS
Final E Type - M
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Cool thanks for the reply, just wanted to make sure as getting AZLA tips in the UK is like $35 for two so wanted to get the size right 
So going by measurement and your assessment (I’m normally a L in E tips) I reckon ML should be bang on 
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Using the type E LL size while azla are ML.
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So just out of curiosity: there seems to be a divide between what is hi-fi and what is chi-fi and it seems to be more than just the location the company is based.
What would be considered “starter hi-fi IEMs”? Not planning to upgrade soon, but if I wanted to get a taste of what actual hi-fi IEMs are, what would be the starting place? Campfire Andromeda’s?
Nothing is saying that chi-fi cant be hi-fi. Chi-fi, at least how I use it, is to describe a company based in and also manufactured in china.
Because there are some western-fi that also are made in china.
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Both @Jetman and @Towa have extensive experience with Andro 2020s and have experience comparing them with the popular “chi-fi” models as well.
Okay maybe I understood incorrectly. New question: where does mid-fi stop and hi-fi begin? I guess this is also subjective so mostly looking for opinions, not necessarily facts (unless of course this is quantifiable).
(this is for iems)
0-100: low-fi/ low-tier (low-fi probably sounds insulting lol)
100-300: mid-fi
700+: high-fi
The area between 300-700 is very strange to me. As it is too high for mid-fi but too low for high-fi. 
But honestly I dont really like generalizing it like this… I have heard some 300 usd iems that sound worse than some 30 usd iems…
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It may also depend if you don’t mind going used as well. You can enter high-tiered IEMs from 600-1000 used and it will far outperform mid-tier IEMs.
Yeah I’d probably look used first if I were to take the plunge, though I feel the used iem market is pretty barren where I live.
Yeah it’s no guarantee that something more expensive also sounds better of course. Mostly curious since the most expensive headphones I’ve ever listened to are €200 (not counting the 1000xm3) and the most expensive IEMs are €139. Someday I’ll get a pair of endgame IEMs though…
In my experience, iems have a better value than headphones. And earbuds (for the very low budget range) are better value than iems.
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Have to agree. I have always felt the use of the “chi-fi” connotation was derogatory unfortunately. Probably why I never use it. Most everything is “chi” today anyway. Chi-fi companies like Linsoul are giving “chi-fi” an impressive reputation.
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Maybe, but not always. Just take a look at BGGAR’s tier list…
For instance… Mangird Tea outperforming the the U12T. $299.00 vs 1,999.00. Yeah.
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I’d add based on his tastes he out ranks Mangird Tea, but I wouldn’t necessarily say the Tea outperforms the U12T in general. As everything in this hobby, it’s subjective
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That’s exactly my point.
You can’t make a blanket statement that if you pay a lot of money for an IEM, it will “far outperform mid-tier IEMs”. That’s just not true especially if you ask BGGAR who has probably possessed and heard many more IEMs than any of us will and he ranks the Mangird Tea a whole tier above the U12T. To him, it obviously is better for whatever his reasons are. Don’t get him started on the Legend X.
It is subjective. There is no “better” only different. Expensive IEMs are not automatically going to “far outperform” a less expensive IEM.
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Of course, there will be exceptions and if you want to believe in your statement, that’s cool as well. I will recuse myself. I was simply trying to help with my personal experience in all three tiers. If I knew I had to dance around with my word choice, I wouldn’t have bothered.
Meanwhile, I find it ironic that you would state there is a tier list that someone else publishes and somehow you should stake your personal opinion on it, while in the second paragraph, you say everything is subjective. Have you personally tried both?
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Thank you for your permission.
I do not stake my personal opinion on BGGARs list. It was an example proving my point with someone with much more IEM experience than either of us. I have my own personal experiences where I have preferred a cheap “chi-fi” IEM to a western $1,000.00+ IEM. Like I said, it’s all subjective.
No one is perfect in their word choice, but I can’t stand to let such a ridiculous statement like that go without calling you on it.
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Kbear os1 pro on Amazon has a 30% off coupon, but I think that deal might be only for prime members.