IEM discussion thread (Part 2)

Legendary post :call_me_hand:

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Welcome! I think @dnolan227 has some excellent deals on used earbuds right now. I’d highly recommend you reach out and see which sets are still up for grabs!

And then, once you’re hooked, you can get into the higher end sets :wink:

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@pk500 Paul, once you’re ready, I can send out my pair of TGX Serratus for you to listen to :call_me_hand:

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Can someone help me with this EQ ? Just try it with SUPERMIX 4 and give me feedback

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Too kind my friend, too kind :pray:

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I would love to try this if I had the SM4 still. I remember that set took really well to EQ.

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Wow havent been looking at sources for a while and looks like there are some cool stuff out now. (this shits on the schiit alternatives, MUCH cheaper and MUCH more knobs/filters.)

Also found this…may be a good combo for people using a 2.0 speaker with a separate sub. (high pass filter for the 2.0 speakers.)

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Ayo, this thing looks SICK. Too bad it’s only RCA in and out, though. Still really cool.

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if you want XLR.

Also has a tube.

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Yooooooo… for $129?! That’s pretty dope.

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Sadly no bypass like that other one and not as many knobs as well, mostly I would want the same bass frequencies like that other one at 20, 60, 125 and 250hz
Rather than the 50, 125 and 315 on this.

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They also have this.

Not many “gaming” dac/amps with mic input and this also has a bass booster knob. And even a knob for the mic volume.

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Thanks, Dom!

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I frequently use buds for yardwork. I find that too much isolation weirds me out when I am outside. I also have an electric mower that is pretty darn quiet.

I find that the gen 2 shells were pretty good for me, which I think were similar but maybe a bit more square stems.

Agreed, the Gunr is one of the few new ones I can think of. It has a width and presence knob, which looks interesting, and seems like something that could actually change the sound quite a bit.

https://www.schiit.com/products/gunnr

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That nobsound reminds me alot of an eq we used in our most basic PA setup. Which I always felt was overkill, because the whole idea was to provide a simple but decent set-up that small and beginning bands could borrow when performing. The entire flightcase was built around the Spirit Folio mixer (by Soundcraft which is now part of Harman). That mixer already had a built in basic eq. Man I loved that mixer, so small, but damn versatile.

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Nah the Gen 3 shells is majorly different from the old (discontinued) gen 2 shells, MUCH smaller and fits deeper and doesnt stick out much on ur ears (sleep bud viable).

Sadly Schiit and JDS have a major lack of availability outside the US so importing them will likely cost up to 2x the price.

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That is awesome

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Compared with the MX500.






RG39-1 (blue) vs MX500 (black)



RG39-1 (clear) vs RG39-SE (black)




Qian39 (left) vs RG39-SE (right)

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Presenting to you 2025’s first entry in S Tier Tonality [Eminent Ears] SAPPHIRE

( You can see my ranking list in the newest video )

Although RUBY was amazing in tech and detail retrieval, SAPPHIRE is a different beast altogether. I prefer tonality over everything and ‘my god’ this thing delivers. If you are looking for good OBJECTIVE PERFORMANCE, SAPPHIRE is hands down a shining option for $1400.

Let me get a few things straight, it’s pretty average in Technicalities, there is nothing to complain about or praise in this regard. It’s how an average $1.5K IEM sounds. It won’t blow your socks off like JOMO 408H Skyline, it’s not made for that in the first place. It can easily resolve better than ThieAudio Monarch MKII / Sennheiser IE900, but don’t expect earth-shattering technicalities from it.

Now coming to the tuning of this IEM, it’s near perfect. There is only one thing that kept me from ranking it as an S+ in tonality & that is the Air/Extension in the trailing ends. Apart from that, the bass is physical and extremely well executed, amplitude is good & true to the tracks. Midrange is implemented with laser precision. Texturing, timbre, coherency, everything is mindf***ngly good. The treble is not the most extended but it is well-placed, excellent sense of details ( Details & Resolution are different things in my book ). I could’ve used a bit of extra refinement but it’s understandable since most audiophiles are not fond of risky treble tuning.

I have drooled over a few IEMs in the past. Softears Twilight, Nightjar Singularity, ThieAudio V16, Nostalgia Camelot. I will add this to the list. Well worthy of AWA Crown. Good Work [Eminent Ears]

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Good call, I’ll definitely start with those and see which shell fits best for me. Thanks for the recommendations.

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