Hi everyone,
I’d be looking for some suggestions on IEMs, with a strong focus on their durability (even at the expense of sound quality, if that’s the case).
A few words on where I come from (feel free to skip to the last paragraph for the actual request). I like to buy electronics - first or second hand - that are lasting as much as possible, and am pretty much confident in hacking their software/hardware if that helps prolonging their life span. I tend to get 10+ years out of DAPs, laptops and ereaders, slightly less out of phones. What attracts me to IEMs is mainly the ability to replace the cable, the most common point of failure in the earphones I owned (sound quality is of course a big plus! ). I had the chance to use some CCA CRA for a while and - while knowing these are pretty baseline V-shaped thingies - have to say I enjoyed the experience pretty much.
I’m mainly listening to badly recorded punk albums, post-rock/post-metal stuff, with some hip hop and folk added to the mix: I’m no real expert in the field, but some reading suggested me that a balanced set of IEMs could fit nice (feel free to suggest me otherwise). Seems like you can get some pretty good-sounding IEMs for 20 bucks these days: that would be a nice budget, but I’d happily spend something more - let’s say maybe 50? - if that helps with the durability of the case and drivers (of course cable and tips will have to be replaced at some point). I tend to be careful with my stuff, and can easily see myself carrying them in a hard case. Common points of failure coming to my mind are failing drivers, corrosion problems, clogged filters (not really a problem if they can be easily cleaned).
Is there anything durable enough you’d suggest me, or am I just searching for some unicorn?
The MMCX cable connector is the most durable, and metal shells can help, but it’s gets expensive. I just use the Moondrop Chu 2 since they feel solid and aren’t expensive to replace. These things are so fragile being so tiny I’d recommend the Chu 2 since it’s a sleek, rounded design that feels solid when I wear them, and less likely to drop them accidentally.
Thank you really much! During my research the Chu 2 got my attention as a set with a sturdier build, I just got a little wary of the multiple complaints of nozzle oxidation and filter clogging, that seem to be quite frequent among owners.
Yeah, I’ve seen those concerns pop up too. The Chu 2 does have a sturdy build, but the nozzle oxidation and filter clogging can be a bit of a downside, especially if you’re in a humid area or use them a lot. If you decide to go for them, just be sure to wipe them down regularly and store them in a dry case when not in use. That can help prevent some of the issues. Overall, they’re still a solid option, but just worth keeping that in mind!
Thanks for the feedback, @AcousticAngel abd @Ohmboy!
Setting Chu 2 aside for a moment (really have to think about moisture problems: I plan to care about them as much as I can, but still live in a humid area and plan to use them on the go), I’m reading nice long term reviews of the Blon BL03s: seems quite common for them to last at least 3 years. While knowing it is someway old as a model and being aware of the tricky fit, I’ve to say I may consider getting it for around 25 bucks. The slightly more expensive Simgot EW200 seems to get some nice reviews as well, no long term reviews here though. I’m really into the looks of the Truthear Gate as well, just worried the plastic case could not be really resistant enough.
The build quality and driver simgot uses is above average quality so durability should be pretty good. But the EW200 is pretty bright and not really fitting for your library, the EW300 would be a bit more fitting.
Tripowin Piccolo (full metal build) linsoul 10$
TRN Orca (full metal build)
Or
KZ EDC Pro (I know it’s Resin build but it’s sound nice, If it’s break just buy another)
Thank you both @h8uthemost and @jojomo, I guess I’ll settle on the BL03 (as I’d like to place the order before the 11.11), maybe getting an additional EDC Pro just because I’m curious and it’s insanely cheap.
