Seems it’s once again time to take the power back 
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@nymz I’m sure you’ve googled this, but in case you haven’t had time:
https://mydhl.express.dhl/gb/en/help-and-support/shipping-advice/what-can-i-ship/lithium-batteries.html#/whats_dg
I would’ve thought XD-05 would not exceed the Wh restriction…
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Shit, man, I’m so sorry… Worst thing that happened to me like that was getting (consistently) robbed by customs. Fuck, can’t even imagine… 
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Very bad! I’m sorry. That’s why I use only my LG and it is completely sufficient for me, it works wonders with the amplification of most IEMs, it is neutral and does not color the sound. I’m not overwhelmed with 100 DAC, DAP, etc. I hope the case is resolved. if I were, I would judge them. RIP DHL … 
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Ordered yesterday afternoon and arrived this afternoon. Still setting up but I’m loving the way it feels so far.
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Congratz 
Hope you like it 
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Looks great! Is it pocket friendly though? And I don’t mean winter-jacket-pocket friendly where probably shiiit stack would fit, but more summertime-chill-California-skating-around-in-shorts pocket friendly
I hate winters so much… Especially the latest versions of polish snowless gray ones
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Right to left. My Sony A55, M3X, and your average 6.5" smartphone. So yeah. It should be able to fit. Just a bigger width than the A55.
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It already sounded kinda spacious sound wise! Will properly listen to it later tonight before bedtime.
Thank you! I will! 
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Yeah, compared to the A55, more power will do that. There’s a reason why I still rec M3X, even if I don’t own it anymore. In fact, I don’t own any DAP at the moment.
Given I just lost an amp (aka money), I will have to check the market again. Plan was to buy one more nice iem (Kinda Lava?) but now I will have to go back to the white board. We’ll see.
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Aladdin vs Teas - The masterclass
Disclaimer, as per usual: this unit is a loan by @ttorbic which kindly sent me his own set to do this comparison. I’m eternally grateful for that.
Another disclaimer I want to do is towards biases, as I already feel the pitchforks incoming. Most people will call me out because I’m a Mangid Tea lover, but they are wrong. I’m as impartial as I can be, although a human being and I have my preferences. If people think I’ll smash anything that comes close to Teas, they should think twice or even check my rankings. My dream is to have cheaper Tea beaters, not to keep them on a throne or something like that. The moment something better and cheaper arises, the easier the community can access. If you don’t believe this, please try to rec Teas to someone that is looking for a budget set and check their reaction or try to find an answer when they ask you about a budget version of Teas.
All critical listening was done using the same tips, the same amp on 4.4mm balanced and marginally the same volume.
Overall differences
If you ever looked for 300usd dark IEM, it’s very likely that Mangird Tea has come on your way. And if that happened, you probably heard about Yanyin Aladdin as well. Aladdin is a Penon exclusive, kicking in at 245usd (55 usd cheaper than Teas).
They are both hybrids and the reason they always get compared is because their tuning is marginally equal. And no, it’s not a meme. During this A/B I will safely say that, with the same tips and amp, the differences between them fall almost under the unit variance margin. Of course there are very subtle differences, but for the average user, you basically looking into the same FR:
The biggest difference, even though small, would be the lower end where Aladdins feel an hair more elevated. Above that, it’s not a deal breaker and anyone claiming they are vastly different, I’ll call bullocks.
Regarding build and fit, they are also pretty even, although, to my surprise, my ears seem to prefer Yanyin’s set - which also slightly influences the isolation for me. Aladdin fit deeper and are ever so slightly thicker and heavier, but we are talking decimals here. But they are dead close anyway.
Given that, I’ll try to keep this ramble short, and focus on the point. Honestly, my brain forgot about driver composition, and wasn’t until equipping Aladdin for the first time that it instantly struck me: Bass and separation felt different. I was talking to @ttorbic and I even commented on this, and to my surprise, it seems my ears still catch these things: Tea has a different DD and double the BA count of Yanyin’s set (six versus three).
Preparing in advance, I took the Teas out and was using them for some periods in the day before, so it was pretty present still and after A/Bing now, it’s even clearer: Tea’s have better quality and quantity drivers - there’s no way around that.
No, more drivers don’t equal to better (lol Dark Magician looking at me and laughing hard), but the reason this is as masterclass is way more complicated than that: Give marginally the same tuning, closer to same shell (I have no clue of the insides, dampening etc.) but different drivers and check results - Einstein said that the definition of madness is to the same experiment multiple times and expecting different results, so guess I am (or we all are) insane in this case.
So why are the Teas more technical?
They are more coherent, have better timbre to my ears, better separation and stage (width, height and depth). They come out more resolving and this clarity is pretty obvious when you quickly switch between them - it feels like some veil is up on the Aladdins. Vocals also feel more natural and organic on the Teas, but I’d say both excel at it. I’d say dynamics are way more present on Teas as well, by some margin.
So all that talk is probably related to the BA count, right? But what about the DD?
Tea’s DD is tighter, cleaner and more detailed. The texture difference is there and so is the extension - Even though they both have great extensions, the rumble on them is just different. Mid-bass is just more visceral on Teas, that feels like a sleeper until the track calls it and bam, some punch added (slam) on your skull.
Quick music talk
I just wanted to add some quick notes here so people could catch it, but more were used. Genres that needed more bass texture like techno or separation like classical, were all in favour of Teas.
Agnes Obel - Curse
Viola and lower frequencies feel more prominent on Aladdin - I like it;
Mids feel more in your face on Aladdin, mostly due to separation and depth, blurring other frequencies;
Vocals are pretty close to each other, Tea just feel an hair more organic due to timbre;
Agnes, starting around 30 secs into the song, comes in from above you and slight to the left. Aladdin couldn’t reproduce this the same way as my other sets, including Teas, showing lack of height.
Teas feel more airy, detailed and effortless.
Hyper - FCKD
Tea’s bass is much more visceral. It comes out with more slam punch, faster decay. Tighter and cleaner I would say.
Better bass detail and texture;
Separation is worse on Aladdin;
Cymbals are more around you on Teas, more disperse but more hearable. Dynamics on Tea are superior;
Jay Cosmic - The Tunnel (0:58s drop)
Tea rumbles more, with better texture and clarity. Keeps it up after other frequencies chime in, while Aladdin falls shorter.
Beyoncé ft. Jay Z - Dejá Vu
Bass and roland is the same as other songs before. By an hair or two, I think I prefer Beyoncé on Teas and Jay on Aladdin. Hi-hats feel an hair less fatiding on Aladdin as well.
AC/DC - Let there be rock
Separation takes a toll on Aladdin. Teas still feel more effortless. The kickdrum is more impactful as well and the imaging/staging give a whole new color to the presentation.
Veredict
By now, I think it’s pretty obvious that to me, Teas are a superior set, but they also cost more. So that raises the question: Are you buying Aladdin to save money? If you do, you might as well look into Timeless/S12 as they will blow your mind for even less. S12 costs 150usd when not on sale, so there’s that. If you have 300usd to spend (or less during sales), I’d say get the Teas.
Nonetheless, I would like to disclose again that we’re talking the last 10% here, between the two. I don’t think that if you have Aladdin and love them you should run and buy the Teas - but the opposite, just keep saving and go up the ladder or buy a planar.
There shall be no war between the two and, in fact, I would even say that Yanyin Aladdin lovers are also Tea cultists, and they praise the same thing on a set - and we all have an awesome tuning taste.
Long live the princess and prince of darkness. Welcome on board.
Best,
nymz, the dark shaman
CEO of Yanyin Tea Cult
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What an enjoyable read! It’s also very educational for me - I didn’t pick up the coherency or technicalities shortcomings of the Aladdin compared to my Oxygen. I think my ears need more training! And a good way to get better is by reading reports by experts
I have the S12 now, which should at least have better resolution and faster bass, so I can see if I detect those points you raised when I A/B the two once my Aladdin is back.
This also is useful for my endgame plans - I’m pretty happy with the value for money I’d the Aladdin, and I will wait until I can get upgrade to the EJs.
Thanks for taking the time!
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Everywhere the opinion is the same about the dynamics - Aladdin lacks dynamics and resolution, but for the price I guess they are good IEMs. Tea is unbeatable by competitors in the price range.
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You raised a valid point, I forgot to include: EJ07.
To anyone that loves these… It’s a must if you can afford it.
I will give you a freebie: I freaking love the looks of Aladdin when comparing them on hand. Amazing looks! A beauty. 
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For the price I think they are very very good IEMs 
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I do not know . I don’t want to sound like trolling, but I think that in addition to the tuning for Tea, it is very important to use the Sonion 23 series BA. According to my personal ranking, I would rank them: Sonion > Softears> Knowles for Chinese brands IEMs. Shuoer used voodoo magic at 07m and their 2389! It is interesting to make a topic about BA and DD and hear more opinions, but few people write here, and many people only read 
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You’re right @nymz , I don’t need another DAP or a DAC for a good long while, for the next year even. The M3X really makes The Variations and my music library sing that I never thought of before.
It is an upgrade from the Fiio Q3 and a huge step up from the A55.
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So to fund a new amp/dap I need to get rid of some stuff. Im not selling any crown jewels, but let me known if you are interested in any of the following items before I put them up for sale. PM me and as always, bro dealing is included. They are all in mint condition and almost no usage:
- 7hz Timeless
- Sony EX800ST
- Sony CD900ST (closed back)
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