IEM discussion thread (Part 1)

[AmericanSpirit_JP]

That’s crazy.

Although the noise canceling on Space Travel and Nekocake are “ok” level, still that’s impressive pricing.

My secret pro tip for TWS:

Technics AZ60 sometime goes on sale from Panasonic official, I got it at $84.99 and for that price nothing beats AZ60. Noise cancellation is adjustable, the strength is second best besides Bose QC Earbuds II. And Bose QC Earbuds II has way too strong noise cancellation pressure that actually is uncomfortable, so AZ60 is a magical IEM that can be obtained with less than $100 with top-tier performance.

Try avoid AZ80 thought, it’s $299 and is overpriced atm.

[pylaczynski]

Thank you a lot for the input. In fact I pulled the trigger on those Freebuds and should have them on Wednesday. Have you discarded Huawei due to the ban or they just did not stand out in your collection?

I actually have WF-1000xm3 but don’t use it for several months now due to various user experience reasons:

1. the battery just does not give me the justice
2. the form factor of bud and fit does not work with me particularly well
3. the form factor of the case is just big no-no
4. there are no good codec support (crazy for such expensive MSRP)
5. there is no multi pairing - I need to use them for Google Meet on Win laptop + on the go in car with Android phone

On top of that Freebuds have crazy interesting tuning for my taste and combined with price it was too big of a temptation

Squiglink - IEM frequency response database by Super* Review

[Foxgloves]

@AmericanSpirit_JP

From my personal experience, it’s actually a positive bias (endowment effect) may be associated with personal purchases (the hard earned money spent on a thing should’ve value more) though.

For something given at free of charge or discounted price, or even a review touring, auditions, or store-front (at least long term sessions), people tend to evaluate more objectively. (Well…I see exceptions on head-fi. For that case.)

Et tu, bro? If given free of charge or discounted and anticipation of more samples/discounts in the future, there is much more incentive to shift all ratings positive. I remember seeing on Head-fi you mentioned “positive bias” with free samples moreso than personal purchases. I don’t think I’m half-thinking it or imagining.

[rattlingblanketwoman]

I guess all he can do is mark it as a set that could have bias intended or otherwise, which is what the [promotion] was for I think.

I don’t think he should avoid describing his thoughts about it just because it was free, as long as we know it was free and can adjust our interpretation based on that. We will each add different “pinches of salt” thanks to the label, depending on our judgment.

[rattlingblanketwoman]

I’ve been looking for a suitable Serial replacement for a bit now.

If Penon want to silence honest disapproval, I can balance things out by removing my honest approval.

Come 11.11 this might be the year I finally buy a DB Monroe and see what it’s made of.
Or a Mega5P if one ever comes up cheap. It’s a good testimonial for them that I never see them available second hand!

I’m revisiting the Eru, with the smallest Final E tips I have and deep insertion the bass is phenomenal and it mostly mitigates the consonant sibilance I get, presumably from the 2k peak.

[Foxgloves]

@rattlingblanketwoman

I guess all he can do is mark it as a set that could have bias intended or otherwise, which is what the [promotion] was for I think.

I don’t think he should avoid describing his thoughts about it just because it was free, as long as we know it was free and can adjust our interpretation based on that. We will each add different “pinches of salt” thanks to the label, depending on our judgment.

Yeah, I’m not saying he’s forbidden to post about it which would be silly. He provides in-depth, detailed reviews, but it’s peculiar to me the evasiveness. “Promotion” is vague, and he didn’t even answer it was a review sample the second time. Then tries to say personal purchases are actually more subjective, but not even last year he had a different opinion. This is apparent from his thoughts below, and it makes sense to say that it’s akin to marketing for the company (i.e. highlight as much of positives as you can, while trying to minimize any negatives) if the one receiving the sample is influenced by how the product was obtained

Now we have variety of choices for any segments, it is understandable to do a “paid-marketing” by providing free samples by ”publisher” such as Linsoul / HiFiGo / Shenzhen Audio etc. Or otherwise with this red ocean flooded with options, the new product simply will not get enough publicity at all even if it has great performance.

We, as a consumer just simply need to understand the difference between pure personal purchase and ”paid promotion” and make own discretion about how to judge information for those two categories.

[Ferdinando1968]

Since I also have many TWS, I ask you:
how do you behave to keep the batteries alive?

Almost all TWS that have a rather marked self-discharge process, so you leave them there and after 1-2 month they are discharged.

None of the TWS I have (except the Master&Dynamic) have routine firmware that puts the batteries (contained in the earphones) in a ‘storage’ state (which would prevent the deterioration of the lithium cells).

So what I do is reload them in rotation.
And you ?

[Rikudou_Goku]

@Ferdinando1968

how do you behave to keep the batteries alive?

Same rule as with smartphones if you really want to take care of them.

• Charge them from 40-80%.

• Avoid quick chargers (and wireless)

• Store them in a cool place.

• If unused for a long time, they need to be recharged from time to time.

[AmericanSpirit_JP]

After going numerous review samples, I feel the opposite bias is taking place.

For newbie reviewer given opportunity to review stuff, yes that positive bias in anticipation may kick in.

For my case, I don’t review foreseeable bad IEMs for the first place.

Like I’ve been asked to review a CVJ product which I feel it’s not worth my life to hop on based on my old personal purchase of CVJ, the sub-brand of TRN.

I first request a FR, and if it sticks well with my arrays , I’d take a chance trying those. With disclaimer “if I hear the product and don’t like it, don’t expect any feedback from me”.

So now I only publish something I feel it’s worth my energy to be spent on.

With this condition, I do feel personal purchases are more positively biased than review units.

I don’t have the motivation right now because I’ve already found my endgames. If the review work is needed and if that I feel is worth as an input to the community, I take the chance, if not, I hope to live in peace.

For review units, the “I’ve spend my hard earned money, so this must sound great” type of anticipation is not present. It’s just same old “write thing about the sound” tasks.

Note that the endowment effect only kicks in for expensive items, not for something like $20 IEMs

By the way there is one particular IEM that I think is plotted hype. Phenixcall. I was also offered an opportunity and declined.

I saw many reviews surfaced out of nowhere spontaneously. Very similar pattern with many of Linsoul products, probably same marketer is handing these stealth marketing campaigns.

[AmericanSpirit_JP]

Well I’m open for any suggestions.

Everyone is entitled to their own point of view and if you are seeing me being the advertiser, I’m OK with that.

What I will do will not change, I just write about what I feel about particular sound coming out of a thing, based on my own experience. And making it clear how units are acquired, simple as that.

[AmericanSpirit_JP]

Same, I rotate them for a while for charging roll.

But to be honest batteries on TWS are almost inevitable fate, so I don’t take other processes than constantly charging them and treating them like one of the electronics. (Like Riku mentioned above)

[Ohmboy]

in-Ear Fetish Review \\ Thieaudio Monarch MkIII IEM

[SoundEater]

The eternal dilemma of the audio enthusiast: MK3 or Prest LTD
Lower the curtains!
…The End…

[Gohda]

Like you, I’ve been testing the UM MM, but resulted in an opposite impression. This is very unusual as I typically feel every $1k+ IEM is overpriced. Surprisingly, I felt Mentor was justified.

I see you’ve heard the Mest Mk2 and Monarch Mk2. I’ve heard Monarch Mk2 as well, but Mest Indigo instead of Mest Mk2. Even based on just these 2, the UM MM was evidently superior.

I didn’t think I’d ever feel a summit-fi was “worth” its price, but I actually did. To be accurate though, the UM MM is guaranteed to go on sale multiple times per year, so the real cost for one is $3,600 imo.

[hawaiibadboy]

Prestige LTD

Both good sets but I’d take LTD.

[ctmarvelous]

Right now which is the best overall(sound,comfort,design…) IEMs around 50$ in your opinion guys? I only have 50-60$ to spend so I wanna try the best possible out there

[rattlingblanketwoman]

In my personal opinion the EA500 is the best up to that limit, for what I like. I don’t notice the low sub-bass really, the impact and timbre are great, comfort and build are great, an engaging signature.

[Andy_Pickard]

Want some Bass with a side order of more bass finished off with a dash of extra BASS!!

I give the Venture Electronics SiE wow! Needed the Dunu SS tips and a pure silver cable to tame this beast.
Over there in the corner is the 7hz Legato crying into it’s supper in the knowledge it’s been unseated as the king of budget Bass head IEM.

To cap it off the SiE a single DD has clearer mids and more details in the treble. BEG, STEAL OR BORROW THE Venture Electronics SiE, you can thank me later.
Sqig graph borrowed from Archos reviews look at that midbass and decent sub-bass

[fendiking]

I think it’s mid bass has me more in love with mid bass than subbass

[thoohil]

Tangzu Fudu Impressions

This reads like a paid promo but it’s not and it’s true. Bought the Fudu with my own money as always.
There are so many wonderful and affordable IEMs coming out. It’s kind of mind-boggling.

I received my Fudu today and have spent a few hours listening to them. I’m really satisfied—big bass without being overwhelming. They are comfortable enough to listen to for extended periods, working well with Classic Rock, Hip-Hop, and IDM.

What I especially want to highlight—and I hope Tangzu continues this—is the fantastic unboxing experience and design language. Why is it so special?

Firstly, the product comes in a sleek, well-designed black box that’s user-friendly and easy to open. Upon opening the box, I was pleasantly surprised. Instead of the usual chemical plastic smell, I was greeted by the scent of real leather coming from the quality bag included. Whether intentional or not, this immediately signaled to me that I was in for a quality experience.

As I continued to unpack the thoughtfully compartmentalized box, I found that the left side contained various tips, with the IEMs in the center, and the bag and other accessories on the right. Both sets of provided tips ooze quality. Having previously owned Sancal tips, I knew what to expect—excellent tips that help ventilate moisture from the ear canal. The Divinius tips are in a league of their own: superbly built and offering a great fit. I love them!

The cable might feel a bit flimsy to some, but I actually appreciate its rubbery finish and flexibility. It’s easy to untangle, adding to the overall positive experience.

Finally, the IEMs themselves: I absolutely adore the black design, the choice of font, the smoky shell, and—most importantly—the perfect fit.

All in all, this feels like a winning collaboration, and I eagerly anticipate seeing more of this design in the future. Great work, Tangzu and Divinius!

Real Leather

The Simgot is the more correct, reference-like sounding of the two. The lusher Tangzu has more bass focus. Even though they graph similar the Fudu’s 3 kHz dip and the earlier treble roll-off make a difference.