Actually quite similar build 
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Just a little, quick update on my DM8âsâŚ
Been playing around with the various tips that came with the DM8âs, and surprisingly enough, the âVocalâ tips sound best, considerably so.
For starters, these tips have opened up the midrange/vocal region, removing the slight congested sound I always seemed to think these DM8âs had, making vocals and some instruments somewhat chesty sounding. That is now gone with these Vocal tips.
Secondly, they have opened up the top end just a bit more, giving a bit more air and space to the treble, which in turn has broadened the sound stage width and depth.
And lastly, the most shocking part, they have increased bass intensity and extension. Sub-bass output is increased and more tactile, pretty much inline with the 6mm dynamic driver in my JayBird Vistaâs, if not slightly more so.
These are completely transformed IEMâs, all from just swapping out some tips! I was seriously considering ordering the EST112âs, but now I donât think I have to.
Now Iâm wondering if or how much of an upgrade I could get from a small dedicated head amp/DAC, being fed from the R5 Saber⌠The Saber is capable of over 1 watt output @ 16 ohms, the DM8âs are 12 ohms, so Iâm definitely not hurting for power anytime soon, not to mention I donât play them loud anyway.
Thoughts?
Has anyone tried Tri i3 and can share some thoughts? Iâd like to try some other drivers besides BA below 200⏠and this one looks interesting
Quite a few people actually: TRI I3 Planar / DD / BA Hybrid
I really like the sound but one of 2pin sockets become loose, It didnât make me confident in their long-term build, although everything except that socket was really really decent especially for this price.
Thanks, for some strange reason Google havenât showed me that thread.
Read all of it and ordered them 
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KBEAR Lark 1BA+1DD in Ear Monitor,HiFi Bass in Ear Earphone, IEM Wired Headphones, HiFi Stereo Sound Earphones Noise Cancelling Ear Buds with 0.75mm 2pins Cable (No Mic, Green) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08L9D8CWZ/ref=cm_sw_r_em_apa_glt_i_DC6XWBVHWR962PQ3E7RB :$17.51 after 2 coupon, only 3 left.
So I was thinking on giving impressions on the Moondrop Starfield and the Fiio FH3 since I have them for about 2 months now. I donât know most of the technicality parts of it nor am I able to read the frequency graphs but Iâll try to explain as thoroughly as I can. I mainly listen to Korean songs (K-pop and K-Ballads) and some J-Pop nowadays so your listening music range may be different from mine. I use the Spinfit CP100 (M) eartips on both of my IEMs. My source is the Sony NW-A55 (MrWalkman DMP-A50 FEv2 (plus) Mod).
There were no noise nor crackle when used on my Sony A55. Despite having below average power, itâs able to drive both of these iems easily. Average listening volume on the Starfield at 68â78 while the FH3 at 55â68.
The Starfield is naturally a neutral iem but it is more on the warm side which makes it more laid back and comfortable to listen to in very long sessions. The Fiio FH3 is a much more exciting iem and has a very punchy bass as well. It gives such an âOomph!â to it in fast songs. I was able to sleep on my bed while wearing both of these iems so they are very comfortable with my ears.
While I feel both iems are comfortable to use during long sessions, I find the Starfield better to use for me in much longer sessions, especially during work time. Sure I can reduce the volume, but I like to listen on a certain volume when Iâm working and still be able to hear some of the minor details without listening hard to it and not be distracted at the same time.
On the instrumental side, The FH3 is ahead than the Starfield in most songs, especially with rock and live instruments. The easiest comparison on this part is when I was listening to Dreamcatcher âWhatâ on the Starfield, the song felt like it was mastered badly. The guitar and drums notes felt muffled but the vocals felt decent in a way. When I switched to the FH3, everything felt instantly better. The instrumental side of it felt more alive and exciting to the point where it felt like it was almost an entirely different song. This is the only Dreamcatcher title track that stuck out like a sore thumb for me with the Starfield. Their other title tracks are decent with it. Listening to some Japanese songs like Polkadot Stingray âFICTIONâ & âFreeâ and Cider Girl âShukan Shonen Zombieâ brings out much better instrumental details and separation on the FH3 for me. It also helped me solidify that the FH3 just works real well with these kind of songs and the Starfield struggles a fair bit. YOASOBI âGunjouâ works very well with the FH3, especially the choir part of the song. Ikuraâs vocals is crystal clear and more forward on the FH3 though the Starfield is no slouch.
Thatâs where the easy comparison ends and now comes the part where I mainly use both of these iems for, K-pop.
While the Starfield wasnât able to keep up with live instruments and rock songs, I find it was able to make K-pop sound real fun and it can be on par with FH3, but also be better in a few parts strangely enough. Listening to LOONA âSo Whatâ, while the FH3 makes the song more exciting, the Starfield was able to bring out the background and sub vocals clear as day. I was able to listen to the multiple âHey!â in the background vocals very easily in the first 30 seconds of the song on the Starfield while I had to struggle and listen more intently for it on the FH3.
I would like to focus on these 2 K-pop songs especially for a minute. IZ*ONE âSecret Story of the Swanâ and âPanoramaâ. Previously, I had 2 other iems, the TFZ Exclusive 1 and Tin HiFi T3. Both iems felt shouty in these 2 songs so I didnât enjoy them as a result. âSecret Story of the Swanâ literally starts with a huge brass and bang while âPanoramaâ just felt shouty, too busy, and noisy in the chorus overall. It was tolerable but not enjoyable in the long run for these 2 iems for me. After getting the Starfield and the FH3 though, these 2 songs suddenly became much more enjoyable. The Starfield was able to control the already âShouty-nessâ of these 2 songs while the FH3 was able to control them and also able to make these 2 songs more fun and exciting in an already busy song. I will always put on my FH3 when I want to listen to some IZ*ONE songs.
The Fiio FH3 is wonderful with forward vocals and itâs great with korean solo female songs overall, though for some reason, the Starfield was able to give it an edge in some songs. in IU âLILACâ and âCoinâ, her vocal pronunciation detail feels better with the Starfield. Same goes with LOONA Chuu âHeart Attackâ. I was able to hear her vocal dubbing and sub-vocals clearly on the Starfield without being overshadowed by the instruments. The bass, while not punchy and lively like the FH3, it feels more natural for me in these kind of songs and I prefer it that way with the Starfield.
K-pop albums tends to have an intro track before transitioning into the album title track. LOONA Odd Eye Circle âAddâ, LOONA â12:00â, and Dreamcatcher âBefore & After (Intro)â works amazing with the FH3. Listening to âAddâ gave me goosebumps on the FH3 and it helps me understand what soundstage and imaging sounds like.
When it comes to Korean Ballad songs like Wendyâs recently released solo album âLike Waterâ, you honestly canât go wrong with either iems. If I were to be critical with it, the Starfield isnât afraid when you listen to it in high volume and I do listen to korean ballads in high volume sometimes. Listening to Wendy âWhen This Rain Stopsâ at high volume, Youâll find no sibilance at all and everything just feels in control on the Starfield. The FH3 is no slouch either but it does give a sense of vocal sibilance (sssssâŚ) if you listen to it hard enough at high volume. When you do listen at normal volume, youâll find no sibilance on the FH3 so it wonât stick out like a sore thumb unless youâre quite sensitive to it. When I do listen to Wendy âWhy Canât You Love Me?â, the FH3 gives a lil bit more emotion for me and itâs also a slightly lively song with the focus on her vocals. When it comes to korean ballads, the Starfield gives a slight edge with intent listens but not much difference overall and youâll be very happy with either IEM.
I may have to conclude this post. I can honestly go all day talking about the K-pop side of it with these 2 great iems but I have to stop somewhere hahaha.
The FH3 is quite the exciting and lively iem. The majority and mainly the average K-pop listeners will appreciate the FH3 more when listening to it right out of the box. I canât speak for other iems within this price range (150USD) due to a number of other iem releases as of this writing, but Bassheads and rock listeners will especially love this iem as well. Strangely, I find the FH3 more of a better all-rounder iem for me personally since it plays rock and live instruments much better.
As for the Starfield, it is not as lively as the FH3, but there are things that I really appreciate in the long run. It is a laidback iem and I can listen to it for very long sessions without feeling any fatigue. Even though it is laidback, I can still listen to some of the minor details like the background and sub vocals in some songs at ease while the FH3 canât. There are no sibilance at all when listening to Korean Ballad songs, especially at high volume. if you have a very strict budget right at the 100â110 USD mark, youâll be very happy with this iem, if you listen to K-pop and some J-pop like me of course.
I feel lucky to have both of these iems with me. They gave me a sense of what kind of iem I wanna upgrade to in the future. The Starfield taught me that while laidback, Iâm able to hear some minor details. The FH3 taught me that soundstage and imaging in certain songs and how it was able to excite most k-pop tracks. I do wish there is an iem that has all the minor vocal details of the Starfield and the punchy bass of the FH3.
That concludes my post! Thank you for those who read this!
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Pretty good review and in alignment with my thoughts as well.
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Thank you! Yeah, I have been thinking about sharing my thoughts about these 2 iems strictly as a kpop listener. The FH3 may be a better iem in some ways for kpop listeners but I find that both the Starfield and the FH3 compliments each other. Both of them are definitely a keeper for me!
Anybody tried these yet?
They look so tacky, yet so good (imo), the reviews mention good bass as well, theyâre making me super curious.
I have to say I absolutely fallen in love the CA Araâs cable (smoky litz) 
To the point I bought one for my Fiio FD5 too.
(only for practicality sake, I havenât noticed any sound change).
Too bad itâs $100, but really best cable I had a pleasure to interact with.
I wish they make 2pin version too
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What do you guys think about true wireless iem vs wired ones in 2021? Is the difference in terms of sound still a big gap? Like when you put a tws iem at 200$ like galxy buds pro, airpods with a wired at that price too, is the difference still big??
I have 2 issues with TWS:
- The sound is generally not at the same level as wired IEMâs
- I hate having to charge them all the time and at some point the battery dies
So even when #1 is solved, I am not going to use TWS unless in special cases, like working out, where they are a great asset. But daily listening is always wired.
Edit: and I just like a nice cobber cable 
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Another thing to remember, is that with wireless stuff, you cant use your dac/amp that you probably spent a lot of money on. There is no room for improvement. While with wired stuff, sure, if the dac/amp is shit then you arent going to get the fullest. But you are able to improve it more with better sources.
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True. That is also an important reason 
Iâve been considering TWS for work, but with everything thatâs going on with home office, this has been postponed. Still, the Moondrop Sparks TWS got my attention, curious to see its reception.
yeah and the price is 250 usd.
Any idea how long it usually takes FiiO from launching their products to them being widely available? Iâve saved up and my hands are itching to press âpurchaseâ on a new pair of IEMs.
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Pretty fast I believe. Or well, I havent noticed anyone complaing about long waiting times for Fiio stuff at least.
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