Feel free to disregard but if you have been doing this on computer speakers - I may feel more inclined to recommend using the €200 to buy 2 or 3 pairs of IEMs with different signatures to help you adjust your mastering to different types of playback scenarios. The Performer 5 is probably the best single option around that price for your multi use application but the diversity you would get from 3 high performing budget (€70ish) IEMs may be more helpful and luckily with the current Linsoul, Hifigo & Aliexpress sale (with coupons) you are searching at a good time.
Understanding multiple frequencies I find very helpful for mastering work. But as @Rikudou_Goku suggested the best thing you can do is really get to know and understand your own transducers whether they are speakers, over ears or IEMs.
You could easily pick up a Truthear Hexa which is very neutral, maybe something with larger bass since you do EDM work like a 7hz Legato, potentially something harmonesque like the Truthear Zero Red as it represents the average consumer choices better and then something brighter or something more appropriate for acoustic/monitoring work.
@GooberBM made some great suggestions but I would caution against
Galileo probably does not have enough extension for electronic stuff if using alone but may be great for tracking vocals and some acoustic instruments
Starsea is a great choice for a slightly different tuning but it’s pressure problem makes it unsuitable for production work where comfort without adjustment is exceedingly important.
Tripowim Olina SE would be a great choice also and whilst I have not heard the Fiio JD7 it is very well received and neutral. The Simgot EA500 has been the flavour of the month at under €100(check @GooberBM review and thread for more details) and whilst it wouldn’t work well as a full service IEM in your case I don’t think you can go wrong with a mix of any of these as they are all in that target price range.
In general, no IEM is built to last and take studio type punishment. Chifi has some QC lottery issues and drawbacks but we all know this here and still use them as the value proposition and tech advancement makes it worthwhile and the QC problems in general are overstated with the 1 year (difficult to actually effect and ship back to) warranty being the biggest issue.
Since you asked the metal shells also do not equate with better quality or longevity - many here will speak to using expensive IEMs made of resin and some will even tell you stories of reshelling IEMs from metal to resin to overcome some issues in playback, comfort or humidity.
Lastly I wouldn’t bother with TWS for anything but convenient outside casual listening. Codecs and compression will ruin any ability to master so would just be more big picture idea composition or transport enjoyment. I also have the Fiio FW5 it’s decent (not the SQ of a Noble or B&O but top performing for it’s price) but it is missing a lot of the modern features required for TWS to be an all in one convenience package.
For sure your source chain < tip/fit… a THX Dac V’s Burr Brown…THX is a Hasselbald’s perfect picture of a Vincent van Gogh’s Starry Night…but if you’ve been lucky enough to see it first hand then it’s more than a picture, the pallet knife and brush strokes are deep, the colours and textures laid down tells as much as the final piece…some things can’t be bottled.
Yes sir - I have a feeling the THX amps have something about them, something a little special in their delivery of the sound.
I reckon I’m going to buy a K7 off Amazon to see if there’s a noticeable difference in sound quality to my stack at home - if not, a quick and easy return is in order but I just have to feed this curiosity. It’s almost overwhelming! But I will say - the stack was singing to me last night and this morning. Listened to music for about 5 hours collectively and it was highly enjoyable- the problem that I then have, is wondering “what does a better amp/DAC combo sound like?” And then the rabbit hole re-opens it’s never ending, really.
Good to know - he seems like a good dude. Thanks for the run down on the post #, but I was saying sharing the exact post, I was on mobile. It’s fairly easy with desktop
I’m saying when I want to share a specific post, not jump to one… maybe I’m misunderstanding - when I click on share using a mobile, it just allows me to “copy” but then when I paste, I get this;
it’s never ending, really.
