Listening through my test tracks and tip rolling - just realised that the stock white silicone tips are very similar if not identical to Kbear07 tips! In case anybody cared (probably not haha)
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I noticed the exact same thing with the 7hz timeless. 
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Hmm I have the blue timeless silicone tips, and those are not the same as Kbear07. Blue Timeless tips are narrower bore and have thinner stems
Edit: ahh looks like the Timeless has 3 sets of tips included in the box. The clear silicones are indeed Kbear07; unsure about the blue ones.
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are you talking about these?
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p.sure these are what came with the 7hz timeless but never actually bothered to check with the tips i already owned, looks identical and theyâre using other parts from other manufacturers ie the filter so pretty likely itâs these
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LETSHUOER S12 impressions (and comparisons with Tanchjim Oxygen)
Context
I initially wanted to compare the S12 with the Oxygen (O2), the Aladdin, and the Sundara, but I ran out of time this weekend (plus my Aladdin is on a loan). So this will be my impressions of the S12, plus comparisons with the O2. I aim to expand this post with some comparisons against the Aladdin and the Sundara in the near future.
Preamble
- Driver configuration: S12 (1 planar); O2 (1 DD)
- Source: Qudelix 5k (no EQ), Spotify
- Cables: Stock SE cable for S12; balanced for the O2
- Eartips: Stock on S12; CP145 on the O2
- Test playlist: Mix of jazz, classical, film scores, female & male vocals
- Photos credit to me. If you like what you see, please consider following my Instagram
Fit, isolation
- S12 has a short nozzle, but I have no problems with the fit when using the stock tips (white silicone). These appear to be identical to kbear07 silicone eartips; they are wide bore, thick stems.
- I find them comfortable. The shells are light and ergonomic. Build quality is superb (see photos for proof!)
Impressions
- Overall: The S12 has the classic planar timbre, with fast note decay, somewhat light note-weight (mainly in the bass); notes feel crisper on the S12 vs the O2. In other words, S12 offers good clarity and is somewhat analytical, whereas the O2 sounds more lush and musical
- Note: I initially thought there was a treble peak, but after brain / physical burn-in, it doesnât really bother me.
- What I like about the S12:
- It has excellent detail retrieval and separation. E.g., Mountains [Interstellar OST], the clock ticks at 2:33 are more pronounced than O2. Another e.g. on Tank! [Cowboy Bebop OST], the double bass, guitar, and bongos during the first 30 second sound fantastic - you can hear the bass string pulls, the reverb of the guitar strings, the drumming of the fingers on the bongos.
- E.g., Mombasa [Inception OST] sounds amazingly clear. Diaphragm âfeelsâ fast compared to the O2. This works well for busy tracks like the Mombasa (the downside is that there is less note-weight and overall lushness to the notes)
- Never feels muddled or congested. E.g., S12 never gets lost in busy sections of songs like Bubbles [Yoshi Horikawa], Tank!, The Drum Thunder Suite [A Tribute to Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers by Tony Allen]
- Nice piano and brass timbre
- Female vocals sound clear, airy
- What I find the O2 does better:
- Has much thicker sounding notes, and more sub-bass rumble. E.g. In Mountains, there is a great build-up to 2:03, when the organs, synth, choir, and orchestra just explode in sound. This feels more visceral with the O2 than the S12
- Cellos and lower register instruments sound more natural than S12. E.g., The Curse [by Agnes Obel] features a cello, viola, and a violin, and both the cello and the viola sound a bit thin. However, vocals sound great, and the col legno battuto (bow hitting the strings) sounds crisp and natural.
Conclusion
Currently, I am unsure which genres would best suit the S12. I enjoy busy jazz tracks with the S12, but not tracks that need sub-bass rumble. Since thereâs nothing offensive about the FR (again, treble can be a bit peaky but I donât mind it), and given its excellent stock accessories, I think it could be a generalist. Unfortunately, I have both the O2 and the Aladdin as generalists, so hopefully I can find a niche for the S12. If you want me to try out some songs/genres, please leave a comment or send a DM!
Thanks for reading and happy listening!
P.S. Thanks @shuoer for the best customer service experience to date! I got my S12 in 6 days from clicking buy to delivery (UK) - thatâs faster than DHL express lol. Amazing!
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Hmmm yes, the blue ones match AET08, but I thought the clear ones were kbear07. Maybe kbear07 = AET07 lol. Youâll get some in the mail soon-ish so maybe you can double check 
itâs a chicken or the egg situation idk whether kbear or acoustone did them first but theyâre both the same eartip afaik, kbear08s are also the same as accoustone08s
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Acoustune came first.
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how do you know? not doubting you just curious, iâve had kbear 08s since mid 2020 i think, came with a kbear diamond
They are an older brand and you can also find people talking about their tips in 2017/2018.
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SCARY how quick you find this info holy shit
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Thank you for sharing your impressions. I have the O2 so itâs very valuable since Iâm considering the S12. With it being planar and with the supposedly hot treble O would consider for Techno.
Could you listen to those two songs and give your impressions. If you have time to A/B with Oxygen itâs even betterâŠ
A lot of bass and mid bass plus the usually treble thatâs present in Techno songs:
This song i consider busy and some iems struggle to keep up:
Thanks a bunch
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Are the aet08 worth getting?
I have the aet07 but they are bit too hard for my ears but i read that 08 are softer.
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Oh? I think they have quite a lot of bass which is good. Not sure how you donât find them bassy. I think this a bit of V shape, because they are a bit bright too
I totally agree with what you wrote there. So I guess I wonât be writing a review now because basically I would say same thing.
Yeah there seems to some mixed opinions on this. They have bass, but I donât hear as much sub-bass extension as the Oxygen. This is reflected in the FR measurements from different reviewers: HBBâs graphs show S12 to have more bass than the O2, but MRSâs show the opposite. Michael Bruce taped the vent to get âdamn fine bass.â I guess YMMV huh?
@mmkzero what do you think of S12âs bass? Your initial impressions didnât mention the quantity just the quality. Thanks!
@thoohil I just remembered that you tried taping the vents! Did you end up keeping this mod or did you go back to stock?
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Iâll check after work. From memory, the AET08 have a smaller bore, smaller (diameter) of stem, and thinner stem. I had to finangle it onto the S12 nozzle. The thinner stem might make them âsofterâ than AET07.
So it is my understanding that the S12 is good and well worth the money but not as good as the Timeless I n the world of iems they are bargains but let be honest they are close enough in price that buying one over the other is not a cost based decision,
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