Aliexpress is so random, confusing and deceiving sometimes
Thanks for the trust Iām glad you loving them!!! Keep us posted with your Tea journey <3
Ahah that title belongs to HBB for bringing it up, Iām just a proud father. Teas are my sweet little loves and Iām about to have my pair back. 1 or 2 months without themā¦ Savage.
Iā¦ I take back my words for the āfinal buyā partā¦
Yes, MEST is THE endgame, period. Tea is the endgame as well (without the capitalization). Variations completed the endgame trinity, but it slacked off on its duty eventuallyāthe destiny to please my ears.
Now with the Variations gone, it left a void in the trinity. Yes, it was that good. Sir Gawain SA6 was the set that ignited the fire to journey once again, but during the quest, RSV the Green Knight of Camelot galloped towards it and nearly rammed it to the ground. Yet, SA6 held steadfast and firm, withstood the bludgeoning of the RSV. It journeyed north with its gash and wounds, but out of nowhere pass the borders, EJ07m the fearsome wabbit of North, jumped out from its fiery cave and attacked with surprise. SA6 succumbed to its heavy gnawing, blood dripping along the cold, dark, and dreich Scottish rain. Yes, EJ07m came about and butchered it. Now I have to live with the EJ07m as a haunting specter by my side, as I journey once more in search of the Trinity.
So that was all to the bedtime story, the development will have to be continued laterā¦ Till the day the specter manifests its earthly embodiment.
Or maybe itās all just a chivalric romance and I just happened to want to buy something nice.
ER2XR, Heart Mirror and Yuan Li
Rapid-fire first impressions
General disclaimer: Any of the following IEMs were full paid and bought on Amazon (Ety) and hifigo (other two). All of them need amplification and will sound bad on simple jacks.
TForce Yuan Li
I got this IEM hoping for a more Neutral signature tuning, but it didnāt came out like that. First minutes in I was over-helmed how bad it sounded until I finally realized the stock cable was borked and proceded to replace it. Given that, all my impressions will not be done with the stock cable, Iām sorry.
Cables aside, I knew this sound profile. Proof Iām not crazy:
No, they donāt sound the same, they are close, but not the same IEM whatsoever, especially due to driver difference.
Iām gonna be brutally honest about Yuan Li: You want the more warm/bassy balanced tuning? Get Tripowin Mele for half the price. You want it for the Techs or Treble? Get Heart Mirror for half the price. You want the whole package or an upgrade? Get Etymotic ER2XR for the same price, if you donāt mind the fit.
Mids feel slight recessed, overall clarity seems good but when you compare it to HM or ER2 you know it is worse. Bass feels fine but then you plug Mele in and itās a bloodbath.
Regarding techs, they are pretty good. Great imaging, good stage, average depth for the price range. Detail is average.
Conclusion: I donāt dislike it, in fact, I kind of like it. I just donāt think it adds anything to the market at this price point. There are better options out there. 3/5.
HZSOUND Heart Mirror
As neutral as neutral goes. Somewhat rolled of sub-bass, flat mids, big treblemaker as MRS described it. I paid 35ā¬ for it on 11.11 and boy, Iām glad I did.
First things first: The treble. Iām using Final E with them to tame some of its peaks. Itās there, itās present, and it might hurt the more sensible users - Iām enjoying it, and you all know I prefer DARK IEMS, while being sensitive to it. Although it is elevated, I donāt find it overcooked and very fatiguing like DQ6 or TSMR Land did to me, even tho thereās no bass shelf to compensate for it:
I just love it. Great techs, just average depth. Due to its tuning, the amount of treble extention and Air is just sweet. Loads of sparkles and separation. Mids are forward and giving the sense of pseudoaccoustics around you. Bass is more present than it seems on graph and very well done, lacking some elevation for some, just enough to give some warmth and note weight to the presentation.
A side note goes to modding and EQ, as I always give impressions and reviews of stock gear, but HM responds very well to EQ and tanya filters/foams.
Conclusion: Together with Mele, for the other half of my library, the two are my default under 100 USD picks. 4.5/5.
Etymotic ER2XR
The bracket gatekeeper. And yes, the fit is as bad as it seems or someone else have told you. You get used to it after some days, and foams help a lot (I still use them). If you can get it for 100usd or even less (US prices), itās a no brainer.
Stage and depth are average to below average due to fit, but imaging is fine and separation is good which helps you to not feel claustrophobic and actually enjoy the presentation. The level of detail and clarity is pretty good.
Tuning wise, I love it. Bass is present, but not bleeding and also not overcooked, in fact, it feels slight less than it graphs. Mids are great and forward but never overly done and also not shadowing everything else. Treble is just right and never fatiguing, with sparkles and enough elevation to feel present. Note weight is good and never thin.
Conclusion: I love it for the price. Praised by everyone for good reason. Fit is bad, isolation is great, cable is very ghetto. Soundstage addicts will find it lacking, but seems to compensate with other stuff. Easy rec if you can get past the fit. 5/5.
That is a nice tale.
I am afraid that your trinity would evolve to some kind of quaternity at some pointā¦
BTW Have you listened to EJ07M IRL?
Dudu answered that 450$ is the price I can get (donāt know if with VAT or without yet) and got me thinkingā¦
Completely 0 lolā¦
Completely base on the trust on the word of mouth on this forum and the extensive reviews Iāve watched. Good thing so far nothing recced by this forum has disappointed me (that also entails that one makes a judgment by the information s/he received)
Didnāt you just get the Tea today? As much as the EJ07m sounds like a deal at this time, thereāll always be a next time for discount. Iām def not a shill, so I advise just spend time with your Tea. I remember you were also interested in MEST; for that, Iād rec. But first you gotta spend at least a few days even weeks to get to know your tastes better. I held on to the Variations for 3 weeks until I decided itās gotta go for my ears, albeit it being very good. The same thing happened to my Tea, I disliked it for the first two weeks but it gradually burned in and became smoother, and both me and my flatmate said the sound signature was a lot better than the first impression. Itās most likely due to the brain adjusting to the unfamiliar signature.
EJ07m is just a big bet for me, but thatās because Iāve probably rewatched all the youtube reviews on the SA6, EJ07/m, RSV, Oracle, Xenns UP like twice already, plus I have the funds, before jumping on it.
Audiophilia is important, but wallet is importanter.
They asked me about VAT and my tax file number after I purchased, but I guess if youād like to itās always good to discuss this before payment.
Thatās a nice price. And no, no VAT if done right
For 450$, itās a no brainer to my library. I even paid more lol. Keep in my mind you might need to buy tanya as well, so add that.
On AliX, I think itās no VAT (for UK) if itās above like Ā£135 or something?
Just a word on Dudo and declaring lower values than what you paid: I tried this method for my Oxygen, and DHL / UK customs ended up rejecting and returning the parcel to the sender. DHL told me that this seller has been flagged and was already under investigation. So if you do ask them to declare a low value, avoid DHL. Iām currently waiting on a replacement unit sent via Ali Standard Shipping
Same, they told me to use Fedex and avoid DHL
I would not buy anything from Aliexpress ā¦
I just checked the store and I see this:
I opened an incognito window and I see this:
Can anyone explain?
EDIT: I like how it says 599 USD in the picture and how it strikes out 1018.29 USD as the price in the second screenshot
That is probably the price when VAT is factored in. (its like that for my aliexpress as well.)
Aliexpress Member price. It also shows VAT for you, but removes on checkout I guess?
that would explain why i see 630 instead of popinteddies 530, but not why it gives me 712 in incognito mode
EDIT: ok, as nymz said, the member price may explain the higher price in incognito modeā¦ still strange
Ues you are completely correct and reasonable. I would take my time with nice cup of tea. They have amazing fit for me as well even with stock L tips. I cannot get anywhere close that with Mele no matter what I try. Semicustom shape is better for my anatomy definitely.
Buying new is probably not the wisest choice for the wallet anyway, as there are some great offers 2nd hand here and on head fi from time to time. It is safer and more exciting to follow those looking for some white crows. It is amazing how many great offers are only available in US though.
P.s. what a beauty it isā¦
Approved.
Regards,
nymz
Tea Cult CEO
I tried the final E tips on the heart mirror.
They are way easier to listen to, now.
I did a quick comparison again with Aria, and now the HM can be warmer than aria. It has less bad extension, though. But the most important: voices on HM are more forward than aria (especially female vocals, I still have to test with other make singers) and have more body!
The spinfit saved this set once, and now I can say you brought them back from the dead
Btw, if you ever feel like modding HM, check this link. Taping vent turns HM into a bass canon
HM also responds well to EQ The config I tried:
Low shelf: +6DB @ 20hz Q:0,5
Peak: +2,5DB @ 785hz Q:1,3
I run stock 99% of the time tho.
Would any of you guys be interested for me to get P1 Plus and KZ ZEX Pro?
Keep in mind P1+ would be a nice comparition to Timelessā¦ If it ever arrives
I think there are enough reviews of both IEMs on YouTube, and Iām sure more will follow. If I can make a suggestion: how about ISN H50, Penon Serial, or Yinyan Rosemary/Canon? Thereās a small fan community on Head-fi but very few reviews online.