(I’m still pretty new to IEMs and just audiophile in general, I’ve watched some reviews but ended up getting myself kinda confused on which one to get.)
I’m currently looking for a bassy IEM with decent vocal around 250 dollars(or cheaper). I usually listen to Anime OP/EDs or EDM. Would be a bonus if it can block out some background noise too, but I don’t really care much about that.
The two IEMs that I’m interested in so far are
OH10
Moondrop Aria
(for dac/amp I’ll be getting BTR5, or if there’s something better at that price range please let me know)
If you like bass I think you won’t do anything wrong with the oh10, arias are more of a neutral sound if I’m not wrong
As a dongle the btr5 is a good choice but for most the btr3k is also more than enough (at least for me ) and other swear on the Qudelix - 5K
As for dac, you can get away with even a 10$ dongle plug into your phone and it will work on most IEMs that aren’t sensitive, they sounds almost the same with more expensive PC audio setup.
I suggest buying from ddHifi on aliexpress for this.
Depends on the budget and the sounds you like tbh.
If you want a sound signature that is safe but still warm and fun to listen to, the Moondrop Arias are a good option and definitely one of the best out there sub-$100. I am not sure about the OH10s since I never owned one, but if you want a sound that is just bang for your buck and have no doubts choosing one, go for the BLON BL-03 because those are still king for its price. Though keep in mind if you want to the BL-03 to be more spectacular for usage, you might want to replace its stock cable and tips for better ones to get the most out of it, but once you did it is a must have.
Forgot to add something. Do you already own other type of headphones apart from IEMs that you can share your liked signature? Do you already own desktop setups like a amp and a dac?
Also, what’s your total budget for IEM + AMP? This will let us have an idea of what you need, since you probably will run fine with an apple dongle and can shift the budget for what matters the most for now (unless you really need BT pairing).
I think that’s his budget for the IEM, he is counting on geting the BTR5 anyway.
To be honest, what matters more is the experience with gear. Will be different to Rec something to someone who already owns and likes some type of headphones than to someone who’s gonna buy his first pair.
For a desk DAC/AMP combo, no doubt the IFI ZEN DAC is a good starting point to get, for the versatility you get for that price? in my opinion is a must have. Though I think it’s better to get the V2 of it since apparently there are some improvements and refinement done with it than the V1 Zen DAC
I won a pair of Sony WH-H900N and that’s about it.
For my budget it’s around 250 dollars for IEM & 100 dollars for dac/amp. The dac/amp doesn’t have to be portable.
I’m want something cheap to start on, so I’m not really looking for some IEM above 250 dollars.
Get cheap stuff to try and find your signature (Blon-03, Tripowin x HBB Mele - Available next week, etc)
Get the does it all LZ A7 (you can change sound with switches and nozzles. best IEM to find your own taste)
Take a leap of faith and go with something balanced tuning. In here you have 2 more options:
Grab something that pounches well for sub-250$ - I’ll rec Hana 2021 for this. Mele and Aria are cheaper alternatives to this route.
Get a cheaper dac (apple dongle or something - great for value) and spend a lil bit more to get to the 300$ treshold and be done for a while. For this I’ll rec B2dusk or Mangird Tea since they pounch above their price tag and you mentioned bass and pop.
Regarding DACs, you should decide if you want the mobility and battery as well and go BTR5/Quedelix 5k or if you don’t need it, grab Zen Dac as recommended above. Keep in mind dacs are important, but don’t matter that much when you are starting on IEMs. Matters to have one, but dimishing returns do hit pretty fast. Keep in mind you need to find Tips that do well for you - This is very important. You must get a good seal with IEMs and every tip works different for every person.
If I was starting today, I’d grab a Dusk or Teas (I own the Teas, big rec) and an apple dongle. If I didnt have the money upfront, I’d start by 50 bucks sets. Then I’d build a tip collection. Then grab a cheap aftermarket cable that suits me. Upgrade into a DAP or DAC/AMP later.
If you are broke or just in need of a cheap daily driver that you can use outside, while not risking using your expensive daily drivers? This is 20USD and a game changer imo for the price. The tuning is just too good on this one.
) and other swear on the Qudelix - 5K
my set salutes you
