IEM discussion thread (Part 2)

IEMs / Other In-Ear Monitors (IEM)
3538

I’ve never heard the Himalaya; I’m just finishing a weeklong trial of the Volume S through a tour.

The Volume S is a VERY competent IEM, but it doesn’t grab you by the scruff at first listen. It does nothing great, but it does everything well. It also fits my ears perhaps better than any IEM I’ve tried.

Volume S bass is VERY linear. Balanced, with a slight lean toward mid-bass punch. The mids are slightly forward but not too shouty, especially with vocals. The treble provides very good detail with adequate extension. But is the Volume S staggeringly neutral? No. There is that slight lift in the mids. It’s meta tuning done extremely well.

Very good imaging and detail. Average soundstage. Easy to drive in low impedance mode. There are low and high impedance modes, but the high mode is absolutely useless. Makes the Volume S sound like tinny trash.

I tried the Volume S at the same time I bought the Thieaudio Hype 2. The Hype 2 is slightly V-shaped and is a party in your ears. Colored, fun sound. GREAT with rock.

That probably biased my initial impressions of the Volume S, as I didn’t think it was that special. And again, it’s probably a victim of polished competency. It does everything well but nothing great.

But the more I have listened to the Volume S in the last week, the more I really like it. It’s a better all-arounder than the Hype 2, for sure.

I’m not ready to buy the Volume S at $320. But I’m definitely eyeing a used pair or a new pair on sale at $250 or less.

4 Likes
3539

Definitely crowd-source for more opinions on the Project M because my opinions were a bit different than many.

Some dudes I know LOVE it as an all-arounder and swear by its bass, too. I thought the bass was fine but nothing extraordinary.

The real star of the show – almost a universal opinion, too – is the treble, which extends far with great detail and no grain or sibilance.

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3540

My best friend currently is helping me out on some things when it comes to a new IEM I want. Right now he is doing his best to find a seller of Elysian Pilgrims since he told that set is more into my taste and preference. It’s not gonna be brand new that is for sure but hey if he can find one under 300USD, I would be happy getting it.

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3541

It’s on sale on Hifigo at $279. If you buy through the AliExpress store and have coupons you can knock off a few more bucks.

3542

It all depends. TBH I’d only be getting the Himalaya if your willing to replace/mod at least the nozzles (you’d need at least the Simgot modding kit) due to the included short OG nozzles but then that’s not much of a hassle and can go a loong way tuning wise (almost all the single DDs in my current rotation have removable nozzles and I wish the Timsok TS-316 (only exception) had them as well.
Again … I really like the Himalayas a LOT, AFAIR @ToneDeafMonk called them his favorite single DDs a while ago (he even seemed to prefer them over the Twilight, like myself) but as usual in this subjective hobby … one man’s nectar etc…
Another great mid-fi single DD set are the Timsok TS-316, some folks called them a steal even while they were still selling for their original $599 but AFAIK Musicteck are selling them for $299.
Tonality wise they’re pretty darn close to my modded Simgot EA500LM but have slightly better timbre, separation and layering and sound more open/airy with some pitch dark background.

Here are Paul Wasabi’s measurements, the upper mids of my modded EA500LM are closer to the TS-316 than on his graph (too close for comfort actually, gotta dig out my 711 stuff from storage to graph those bad boys one day).

graph
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2 Likes
3543

Appreciate the insight! Sounds like the Hype 2 leans more towards that deep, textured low end rather than a tight mid-bass slam—definitely good to know. And yeah, I’ll definitely check out more takes on the Project M. It’s interesting how opinions are split on the bass, but that treble praise seems pretty universal. Might have to give it a listen myself!

3544

Here are my impressions of Letshuoer’s flagship, the Cadenza 12, priced at $2000 USD. It has a 10mm dynamic driver combined with 11 balanced armature drivers (7 Sonion + 4 Knowles) in a 6-way crossover configuration, with 16Ω impedance and 110 dB/mW sensitivity. Thanks to Audiogeek EU for arranging the tour unit!

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The sound signature offers full, satisfying bass with mid-bass emphasis, giving good body to beats, acoustic instruments, and vocals. The mids and treble are smooth yet forward with excellent tonality, presenting a natural sound with added sparkle that makes details pop while maintaining a smooth character - an impressive feat. Nothing sticks out in the frequency response, making it easy to turn up the volume. The presentation is intimate with good side-to-side separation and imaging, though it doesn’t deliver a huge sense of space. Vocals especially come across as intimate. My main critique is that it leaves me wanting more subbass, but its mid-bass focused presentation is highly resolving and gives nice impact.

Detail retrieval is excellent. The treble tuning might be a bit much for some people or potentially tiring during longer listening sessions.

The Cadenza 12 fits nicely with classic rock, acoustic, folk, jazz, and even pop. For metal (Tool, Death) and hard rock (RATM), it excels with double bass drum separation that remains clear where other IEMs might turn those busy basslines into a muddy soup. Where it falls a bit short is with hip-hop and electronic music, which benefit from more subbass energy.

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The C12 isn’t forgiving of poor recordings - you’ll clearly hear the noise floor, but this also contributes to its excellent conveyance of the recording location in live recordings. While the tuning is spectacular, offering clarity, smoothness, shimmer, and midbass punch in a snappy and refined presentation, with my bass-head tendencies it doesn’t quite satisfy that rumble/subbass itch for bass-heavy genres. None the less, I can see this being a delightful all-arounder for people not looking for that kind of bass.

I’ll be posting a comparison between the Cadenza 12, Dunu Glacier, and CraftEars Omnium soon!

11 Likes
3545

You nailed it on Hype 2 bass. More textured growl than mid-bass punch and slam, even though there still is a bit of thump.

But the low end of the Hype 2 still is much better than the sub-bass of the overrated DUNU DaVinci, which I thought resembled a cross between a constant hum and a bovine fart.

4 Likes
3546

hype2 has very little punch, considering the way it was marketed (IMPACT²).

1 Like
3547

Good to hear your thoughts!

Really looking forward to the comparison with Glacier and Omnium. I really didn’t give Glacier enough time due to being unwell…

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3548

Try tip rolling. The Hype 2 are VERY tip-sensitive for me due to the weird fit. They sounded thin to me with stock tips, but the bass came alive with Penon Liqueur tips.

Still, even with the Liqueurs, the Hype 2 is more sub-bass focused. So, you’re going to get more growl than mid-bass punch, even though I think the mid-bass punch is adequate.

Don’t trust marketing. Ever. It’s usually exaggeration or outright lies wrapped in flowery wallpaper. Your ears and brain are the only true arbiters.

2 Likes
3549

Yeah I wasnt very impressed by it either.

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3550

use this eq on anything you have if you have an amp, doesn’t matter its a 20 years old dd or a new iem. this eq makes my eyes rattle in the socket even with a small sub 10 mm old dd and it makes me think why they even bother putting multiple dds in new iems.

Preamp: -20 dB
Filter 1: ON PK Fc 20 Hz Gain 20 dB Q 0.200
Filter 2: ON PK Fc 200 Hz Gain 5 dB Q 0.200

3551

Alright folks it’s been like a day now and I know I am still on my honeymoon phase, but right now the Elysian Pilgrims to me are a revelation and my fucking god so much details! I was like WTF woah! Never thought in my life that an another IEM set from a different price bracket will surprise me like this, not to mention that I never thought in my life that I will own an Elysian Acoustic Labs brand IEM for that thought never came across to my mind, never at all!

Yeah I am going to enjoy this more and I hope I am leveling up right now when it comes to my progression to this hobby for I still have much to learn. The only thing that sucks about it would be its Pentaconn cable, for I cannot find an aftermarket cable for this set when that inevitability breaking down happens.

5 Likes
3552

It’s not inevitable, just take care of it! :smile:

Even If not listed Just ask XINHS or ivipQ, 99,9% sure they will build you a cable with pentacon terminations

Enjoy your new IEM! :slight_smile:

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3553

Yeah that is true, I am just exaggerating a bit. I think I have made a smarter decision to get the standard Pilgrims instead of the Noirs, for those are too fucking expensive, and I think the cable on the Noir made it so, therefore I cannot see the justification on purchasing it even at 2nd hand for that is just insane!

Ok that one is really reassuring, yeah probably next time I’ll ask them to make a custom cable for me that is modular and has a pentaconn connector, for I am a bit disappointed on the Pilgrim’s stock cable not being one due to its given price. Then again I get it, it’s a boutique set as they say but man it would be better if it just have a modular cable in the first place.

1 Like
3554

Sounds like a total game-changer for you! Love how a new IEM can still surprise even seasoned ears. What’s hitting the hardest—micro-detail, layering, or just the overall tuning? And yeah, the Pentaconn cable situation is a bit of a pain… wonder if any boutique cable makers are working on a fix.

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3555

Yeah it has been a long journey, I began with the Shure SE215s at first, then discovering the T2 which at that time blew my mind being sounding all better than the expensive SE215s at that time. Then comes the Moondrop Starfields, Simgot EA1000, Heydays and the budgets like the Gate, Holas and 7Hz Zeroes.

Currently my primary sets are the AFUL Performer 5+2, Pula Anvil 114, Elysian Pilgrim, Truthear Hexa and Tanchjim Bunny. This journey is still going and I am hoping I can go up to an another level at some point, it might take too long but that is progress for me.

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3556

Man, that’s an epic journey—going from the SE215s to sets like the EA1000 and now the Pilgrims is some serious progression! Sounds like you’ve built a solid lineup with the Performer 5+2, Anvil 114, and Hexa too. Curious—out of your current sets, which one surprises you the most in day-to-day listening? And hey, leveling up takes time, but that’s what makes the hobby fun!

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3557

It’s funny, that I say it’s the Hexas lol. For that given price I was like damn, there is a tuning like this for the given price? I would love an IEM set like this that is like a more improved version. I am thinking about grabbing the Softears Volume S at some point for I just have fallen out of love with the EA1000 and I am selling the item right now.

1 Like