I am relatively new to the hobby, but want to pick up some iems at around the $200-$300 price point. i prefer slightly warmer sound, and do not need vocals to be particularly pronounced. however, I do want a good soundstage and resolution.
I’ve already picked some loose choices, the:
kiwiears quintet
yanyin canon 2
and kiwiears orchestra lite
and I could use some help choosing which to get. other recommendations would also be welcome as well, as my limited experience means I can’t exactly make particularly well informed choices.
tanchjim oxygen
From what I read about those sets:
Canon is on the darker side (relaxed treble) and loose bass
Quintet is balanced but the timbre is not the best
Orc Lite is mostly neutral. It’s also an unvented she’ll and some people have pressure related issues
From sets I’ve heard, the Hype2 from Thieaudio is really good
I wouldnt pick that as a beginner in this world.
If you’re looking for an all BA set at around that price point Akros had recommended the Leisurely audio L8s (specifically the “s” version not regular version), $345. I unfortunately have not auditioned them.
Simgot EA1000 has been described as an exceptional single DD at $220. Great build and customizable with three provided interchangeable nozzles, a nice case, and a good Litz structure silver plated copper cable.
If you don’t want to spend a lot of money, buy ThieAudio HYPE2. Its tuning puts much more expensive IEMs to shame. One of the best sounding IEMs I’ve tried. They were recently on sale for $260, at that price there is no IEM that can match them in terms of tone!!