Damn, what is up with Aliexpress? I just searched for those silicone rings and got an age warning. I wasn’t looking for those kinds of rings dammit!
Maybe they are multi purpose ones? ![]()
Musicteck is blowing these out at 50% off but of course won’t accept returns if they don’t work out. I don’t find much on these two years after release…
I was inquiring about the new Silver Flash and they offered both these and the CP54E at 50% discount. Guess they bought too many ![]()
I think Silver Flash sounds like a much better proposition when you can get them, and if you don’t want to stretch for something like the 54E or 622B. They were great for vocals but the midbass left something to be desired for me. @domq422 spent a lot of time with my set, and I’d probably trust his insight over mine on a time/memory basis but I think you could probably do better for the money even at half-off unless you wanted a specialist set.
Edit: I don’t see any half-off price unless Musicteck has a promo or something, and ironically it looks like they just added a pre-order for the Silver Flash overnight. I will say that while they probably got passed over a lot for the then-flagship 622B and 54E, neither the 32E or their all-BA monitor (CP7BA) garnered much love so unless you can scoop used or get a killer deal on them, I’d pass.
I’m a sucker for all BA/EST sets, so the 32e has a special place in my heart.
I obviously haven’t heard the new Silver Flash set, but in a vacuum, the 32e is pretty unique in its signature by being both slightly warm and engaging in the low end but also crystalline and smooth in the vocals and treble. I don’t remember much more outside of what I’ve said, unfortunately. I just know that I really enjoyed them.
But like @Sonofholhorse said, they seemingly added the Silver Flash as a pre-order option on MusicTeck for $129 and that sounds like a killer price for them if you’re a single DD fan.
He offered it via email. Thanks, I’ll pass. I’m sensitive to pressure build up and it’s not my usual sound profile but that’s what intrigues me.
Sounds like SF is a no-brainer for the $ though I really don’t need another single DD ![]()
Ha, thanks. He didn’t mention the pre-order but I just got in line…
Good man.
I’m interested in the set myself but just like you, the last thing I need is another IEM, period, never mind another single DD set lol but tis is life as an audiophile.

I feel this so much. I have gotten to a place where when interesting sets show up, I let the hype fade, and then come back for a look around the 6 month mark, and see where people are on them.
This is way easier to do, when you have too many IEMs, and more than enough that represent your personal endgame sets. I type this listening on the OG Mangird Tea, which is still one of my absolute favorites. Tea Cult
, and I always feel like I need to pour one out for @nymz when I use them.
Man I know you have fit issues
but Flatheads rule this space if their open backed design works for your use case?.
That’s a beautiful way to go about things in this hobby, man. I get FOMO which is my main issue but I’m getting a lot better controlling it. Quite frankly the good thing is I don’t have available funds to just up and buy IEMs at the moment so that does help lol
Damn. I do miss the OG @nymz I hope he’s well ![]()
@Ohmboy you’re not wrong, mate. I rarely have a quiet enough environment to enjoy buds/open back cans. Even at home. It’s a long story. IEMs jjsy work best for me at the moment but I guess ya never know what the future holds. As of right now, I just don’t know what I’m missing when it comes to flat buds that fit me well.
The ideal strategy. I do the same, and it has landed me in “pause game” with the Astrum, BrainDance and EBC80.
Very, very content now. My audiophile wanderlust has faded. It feels weird but good to have no new sets on my target list. My money clip – which is only opened with the Jaws of Life
– also appreciates this approach.
I’m right there with you, Paul. I’m rockin some really old stuff, but I really like ‘em. I like to keep up with things and may pull the trigger on something here in the next few months, but as of now I am good. Of course, the fact that I am almost exclusively listening with speakers these days, now that I finally can, has contributed as well. In my soul of souls, I’m a speaker guy.
I agree, I’ve been very happy with Deuce, MD Meteor and Volume S. Only Noah is still on my mind.
Finally got my hands on the Thieaudio Hype 4 Mk2 ($400 USD): a hybrid with dual 8mm DDs and four Knowles BAs. It has an impedance of 18 ohms and sensitivity of 101 dB/mW at 1kHz. I listened to the Hype for a couple weeks, thanks to Thieaudio and IEM Tour Group Europe (ITGE).
Some of the songs I listened to with this IEM
- Angel - Massive Attack
- Wish You Would - Marian Hill
- Oh Daddy - Fleetwood Mac
- wacced out murals - Kendrick Lamar
- Whiplash - aespa
- Let God Sort Em Out/Chandeliers - Clipse, Nas, Pusha T & Malice
- Devil’s Pie - D’Angelo
The build is nice, with CNC’d aluminum shells that feel premium. Sonically, it comes a long way toward what the Thieaudio Monarch Mk4 offers. The bass reminds me a lot of the Monarch Mk4, for better or worse: full-bodied with good punch, leaning slightly toward the midbass rather than the tighter, faster subbass-focused presentation I tend to prefer. Excellent nonetheless, and well-suited to rock, acoustic, and jazz. Mids and vocals sound great. I initially found the low treble a little hot, but sizing down KBear Coffee tips for a slightly deeper fit balanced things out nicely. There’s extra treble sparkle that complements the full-bodied bass well.
I really liked the Ziigaat Horizon, and the Hype 4 Mk2 makes for an interesting comparison at $50 more. The Horizon is a bit tighter in the bass, which I prefer, but the Hype brings more punch. The Hype shifts treble emphasis into the mid-treble, making it more dynamic and energetic, while the Horizon emphasizes the air frequencies for a more balanced and controlled feel. By tuning alone, I prefer the Horizon, but I can see the Hype appealing to those who want more mid-treble and mid-bass presence. Combined with the metal shell, it’s a compelling option at $400. Very cool to see how close one can get to the Monarch Mk4 at just a third of the price!
EJ10 back on the barge again thanks to @Jon_let to give them a thorough shakedown, this time #tips #sources etc to see what’s what when it comes to this set. Two weeks if needed and when the dust settles can this set finally win me over ![]()

you were fine with it too initially right? Was just quite a bombastic style you might need matching source and tips as you mentioned, to get to the sweet spot
- also perhaps a bit of brain burn-in ![]()
Enjoy and look forward to hearing your progress ![]()
Listened to Fugaku at a small meetup with other like-minded gents yesterday. Very active-speaker-like in a well treated room experience. Someday, technology will allow losing the dedicated amp…I hope.
Also very much enjoyed FE Aegis - grand stage! Looking for a set. Didn’t care for Legion because of fit otherwise sounded great.
Penon Archangel - liked it more than I thought I might but still not for me
Grand Maestro I couldn’t even get in my ears - dang, like a custom not made for me
There were a few others but mostly enjoyed a few hours with other audio nerds ![]()
Oh yeah, Hercules Audio Moses simply kills Noah. After Noah debuted at CJ-somewhere the hype train kicked and people said Noah was 90% of Moses. Smoking dope they were! Not even tonally similar to my ear.
Traded Noah for Top Pro ![]()
That sounds like an experience!
$2-3k I’d be all in given the constraints, maybe.



