This my first post on this forum, i joined the forum for guidance for my next IEM purchase.I also lurked this forum pretty often lately due to the reason here below.
My previous IEM (Shure SE215) has gotten damaged where plastic of the shell got broken off, thankfully i could glue it back but the comfort is not the same anymore since that broken piece isn’t flush with the shell, i also think the seal below the plastic has been broken so there’s a chance that the music leaks out so I’m looking for my next IEM and i would like to have some guidance since reading forums and reviews makes me lost sometimes since there are many IEMS out there and there’s not really an IEM that is black and white better.
First, i have some wishes for my next IEM:
Around the same shell as the Shure SE215: The cables over the ear and that the IEM is lying flush with the ear so you can sleep with them.
A cabled IEM, so not wireless.
Cables can be changed
Neutral sound preferred (i have an Sennheiser HD600 and i like them)
Has impedance at or lower than 32 ohms so i can use it at any device.
Around 250-300 Euros maximum
I live in Europe (Netherlands), so if there’s a store that can send IEMs using a tax and duty paid sending method, that would be nice.
My music preferences are:
Main:
Metal, i listen to many sub-genres, from Death to Black, to Power, to Thrash, to Doom, you name it.
Secondary:
Electronic music like J-Core (which includes many electronic genres which I’m not very familiar with them. I do know Hardcore Gabber is one of them)
OSTs like Anime and Games.
Currently, i have these IEMs on my list:
AIDERLOT M5
FiiO FH5
LZ A7 (For now my nr 1 due to versatility (i can try different filters to see if i may like something different and it looks as most as a Shure SE215 shell wise)
Mangird Tea
Moondrop Starfield
SeeAudio Yume
Shozy Form 1.1
ThieAudio Legacy 4 and 5
TRI Starsea
I’m not really sure which one is the one that i definitely pick. The LZ A7 is the most tempting, but i would like to know more on the other IEMs before i jump the trigger. I will look look in to the other IEMs more if there could be for me. However if you have suggestions for an IEM for me or have some experience with the music genres that i listen to with the IEMs in this list or have some other guidance. Also please let me know.
I’m going to suggest The Legacy 2, Fiio FH3, and my #1 choice to fit your “wishes” is the Moondrop Blessing 2.
If you want to save some money and get some killer IEMs either the Fiio FH3 & Legacy 2 are great.
The Fiio FH3 has been a very popular go to. I would steer you away from the FH5 or FH5s because it’s in most our our experience the FH3 is considerably less expensive and is generally the preferred IEM.
The Thieaudio Legacy 2 is brand new and I’m really enjoying it. You’d probably be taking a chance on it because there aren’t a lot of reactions of it yet, but I feel for 99 bucks, it’s very good.
If you’re looking to spend all your cash (maybe just a tiny bit more on one quality IEM that shoots for the neutral target you mentioned and nails it, you can’t go wrong with the Moondrop Blessing 2, unless its too large for your ears. It fits me perfectly, and I love how it looks and feels. It is a very well made IEM for its price.
I’d recommend the LZA7 if you didn’t know what kind of frequency response you enjoy, but it sounds like you’re set on a neutral FR.
Ignore my recomendation, must have missed the balanced signature line. @Resolution is right about b2. The only reason not to might be the size, but i dont own them.
I was talkingto Mark from Super Reviews over the weekend with the Variations hype discussing the Blessing 2 and I ultimately agree with him. The Blessing 2 is the most neutral IEM I own and it has extremely good technicalities for its price range. It’s a major benchmark for Crin so I just can not overlook that when making a recommendation for someone.
Personally, I prefer the Mangird Tea, because of the more relaxed/smoother treble (it’s my preference), but Mark opened my eyes that there are others out there that very well might be craving the kind of treble detail the Blessing 2 brings. He even prefers the S8’s even more detailed treble (I’m not going there).
I also need to remember, most people aren’t running the kind of highly detailed and resolving source gear I am listening on as well and might want that much treble in the IEM if the source is not that detailed.
Yeah, agree 100%. Only motive Im not getting a b2 is because I want an upgrade and not a side grade. Might grab one in a future sale. But im prolly going dusk
I’m going Variations. You should definetly check out Mark’s review. He goes into great detail comaring the Blessing 2, Blessing 2 Dusk and the Variations. He throws the DUNU EST 112 into the mix too. Poor EST 112.
That’s completely a personal question, and Mark answers it.
Personally, I feel the additional cost will be worth it to me because of how much I prefer the detailed and resolving treble from the electrostatic divers yet they are never harsh. All the EST drivers I’ve heard doing treble in all my tribrids are my preference over BA treble. The more refined overall tuning is also worth it to me.
I’ve been in the situation far too many times wondering if I should have gone with the “better” (totally subjective) more expensive option. I just refuse to settle for “cheaper” anymore. I usually always drive myself nuts until I end up getting the thing I really always wanted to begin with.
My ears are around medium side. I think they should fit but i can’t confirm it. When wearing the SE 215 i do have some room behind the IEM. At the below side nothing.The plastic doesn’t press into my ear but after a while i do feel the sharp edges of the IEM. (the gap in the middle of the shell).
Just as another datapoint: I love my Teas for country and classic rock. For metal, something with a little more upper mids will focus on guitars better. Teas are more vocal-forward…unless that’s where you want the focus for metal.
Audiosense T180 Pro, T260 pro and T300 Pro.
These look like SE215s. They should have a balanced sound but from the 3 of them i think i will pick the T300 Pro if i only could buy these 3 since they’re the most balanced (according to a T300 review, so not the pro) and is also available at HifiGo which means i can buy them tax and duty-free.
But ofcourse, not much about them just yet. I only can read non-pro reviews. So yeah, not sure if i will buy the T300.
ThieAudio Legacy 2
Looks like a good pair, from my research it’s not tested with metal music but i think it would be fine. I don’t have a lot negative against them. The Brilliam coated drivers part looks good and i’m interested how the bass feels like on these.
FiiO FH3
Looks also like a good set as the L2s but it has an L-shaped sound signature. Not sure if i would prefer that compared to the neutral signature.
One big plus is that these are available in european webshops, so shipping and returning should not being an issue with these.
The cables do remind me as the cables of the Shure SE215 due to the noise it picks up when moving.
Also the fit was praised on this one. I sometimes go on long train rides and having good comfort should be necessary.
I also read about this IEM having QC issues on some units where the Dynamic Driver fails. This shouldn’t being an issue when buying it from a good webshop. But should be noted i think.
I’m a bit burned looking into these, i will try to look into the Blessing 2s later.
FH3 is a great set and, for me at least, very comfortable as well. I’ve tried the FD5 and Legacy 4 and returned/sold them because they were uncomfortable (and I didn’t find them better sounding at all), but I’m not sure how the fit of the Legacy 4 is compared to the Legacy 2. Not a huge fan of the cable of the FH3, though I’ve seen way worse, but that’s easily fixed with a $15 cable from AliExpress.
Very interested in the LZ A7 myself, but I haven’t pulled the trigger because they are a bit expensive, can not be bought locally and I’m afraid they’ll disappoint like the FD5 and L4 did.
I bought mine from Wifimedia, a store located in Arnhem, and I can vouch for their customer support. (If you live nearby you should drop by, they let you try IEMs)
Yeah, i just saw a review of the Blessing 2. That nozzle is HUGE. I’m not sure if it actually fit my ears since i only looked outside the ear canal. Not in it.
I think i will skip the Blessings 2 on size alone since i doubt it will be a comfortable if i sleep in it, also, since i can’t buy it easily in the EU. Returning it if it’s too big me can be quite expensive too. So yeah, i think i will look more towards the LZ A7 and the Fiio FH3 since these should be comfortable.
on one quality IEM that shoots for the neutral target you mentioned and nails it, you can’t go wrong with the Moondrop Blessing 2, unless its too large for your ears. It fits me perfectly, and I love how it looks and feels. It is a very well made IEM for its price.
