I know I saw Kiwi has 2 new sets coming out soon. Would like to wait for that, but me being me, waiting is not my strength. The thing I love about the Quartet is the instrument separation. I don’t have many sets with multiple drivers thus my current choices this time around.
If you want a cleaner sound that stays closer to EA500, get the Quintet. If you want more fun get the Kinera PhoenixCall.
If you don’t need multiple drivers, wait to see what the Simgot EA1000 is about, since you already like the Simgot house sound.
If I were you, upgrading into this range for the first time, I’d personally get PhoenixCall
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I do appreciate you advice. I’m afraid I’m my own worst enemy when it comes to shopping, generally speaking. I am the “I’m going into a store for this, I buy it and leave” type shopper. Then the internet happened. And messed that whole ideology up. And the current iem market has become a land mine field for me. At least with over ear cans I have cost holding me back. But now the current iem market,even at or less than $100, is so saturated that it’s hard to stop and consider things rationally. And that’s where the makers of said iems make their $. It truly is a circle that is hard to get off of. I feel bad even getting into it because I know there are many that can’t afford equipment as pricey as what I’m considering. But I have no control over that, I can only control what little I can.
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Wanted to share a story with everyone that really resonates what this hobby has become to me. When I started my journey nearly two years ago all I really wanted was to hear the music better. Many hours were spent critiquing and analyzing the tuning. I’m sure this in some way helped me to get to where I am today with my favorite sets however, the heart of the matter was missed in the early days.
What I unknowingly desired was for a set to resonate memories I’ve lived through. From my lows of being an alcoholic to the highs like my wedding or kids being born. That’s to say that not every IEM needed to be a studio sound or the live approach. I wanted sets that dug to parts of my brain that may have been forgotten and ones that I often revisit in fondness. I wanted them to be the soundtrack to my life. This brings me to tonight and the experience I had with the Shortbus Flat Earth.
Now briefly if any of you have followed Michael Bruce in Discord than you know this is a thunderous beast. Perfect for Metal, Hardcore and Thrash as a set for that live experience. Ironically though that is not the journey I went through which brings me to the story I shared in a DM with my tour group.
Story from the DM:
So I’m going through some of my favorite older tracks of various faster genres. I just landed on one of my wife and mines favorites albums Rise Against - Siren Songs of the Counter Culture. A lot of deep memories behind it.
It dropped a year into me being in the military and a few months into being stationed Japan. A lot of anger in me at the time. I drank myself to sleep many times in anger and sadness to this album. Anyway the light in the tunnel of this story was my wife going to visit me for two weeks about a year into my tour with one year left. I didn’t realize she had been listening to the album too.
Anyway for nearly two weeks straight we jammed the hell out of this album. From driving the coast and camping ocean side it was being played. I’m pretty sure we blew one of the cones on my stereo in that little Starlight of mine. When she left from her visit the album had a whole new light to it. I still drank but the anger settled a bit and anytime I was pissed or missing her I jammed this album only now the alcohol brought thoughts of us together.
Alright so what’s the point of all this. Because I just played the song below and not only is it jamming in a way I’ve never heard it made me cry damn it. FE is literally presenting these songs in a way I couldn’t imagine an IEM would for these genres. Which in some way gets me pumped and mosh pit ready yet, it found that beautiful memory and just brought it to life for a second time. With a presentation wrapped in a thick, clean and powerful punch of emotion.
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I have decided to revisit my Moondrop Kato by using it for a single day, and man despite on what I said about it like its magic losing on me and it doesn’t surprise me anymore? Turns out it’s still a good set to have in my ears though it sucks that I had to remove the right pair’s cover for I had to fix its 2pin connection. Of course with the fixing being done, it looks like it had many battles now, compared to its day when I first got them. If only the freaking Matte Steel version didn’t ran out or I could have had just waited for the damn Blue version.
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Ah fuck no delivery to my country XD
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60 buck Z1R’s from “LUCY-OZ” lets 
…
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Let’s get scammed? 
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My advice, leave the forums, the necessity to buy will be greatly diminished.
The other way, that is way more expensive and maybe untenable, is to go for a higher grade of iems, that maybe cost one or two thousand dollars… and maybe by then you may feel satisfied…
For me, I felt satisfied with my Xenns Top and my Butastur.
But that’s me.
I also try to remember myself that MY objective is to listen to music, not my gear…
And in this “hobby” most people end up doing the inverse.
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Japanese-made JVC Victor® Wood HA-FX650 IEM or FiiO ff5 which one should I buy?
Don’t know but there’s a JVC on eBay UK at the mo…
Yep that’s what I’m looking at it will probably go now while I’m procrastinating
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Lol…Enjoy man I don’t think they come on the market that often, well not in the UK that is 
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For 11.11, I’m thinking about grabbing a set for EDC with balanced tuning and good isolation for around $100-$250 but hopefully on sale. In mind I have Orch Lite, P5, Phoenixcall, Galileo, P1 Max. Any thoughts or advice? Thanks 
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P1 Max, Phoenixcall and P5 are probably the top bets there depending on the specific fineries/genres you need most.
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What do you like about Phoenixcall?
I haven’t actually tried it yet, but it seems very popular especially for the money. Paging @GooberBM since I think he had hands-on. Panda (P1 Max) or P5 are probably better all-rounders if that’s what you’re looking for in an EDC.
EDIT: link to his impressions: Goober's Journey Into the IEM Game or "Why Are You Not As Good As....?" - #1237 by GooberBM
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Phoenix call has a mild v and technicals done right. I had it in all night and was super enjoyable. It gets a. Lot of flack but I like mine.
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