The FiiO FD3 Pro and iKKO OH1s share the top spot.
In terms of budget options (sub-$50), I’d say its an even competition between Tin T2 and Blon BL03.
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How’s the timbre and tonality of FD3 pro compared to FH3? I returned FH3. I am eyeing on FD3 or timeless as of now. Thanks.
Definitely much smoother in my opinion.
It seems to me though that the Timeless is what every is going for now a days.
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My IEM progression from 2019:
No longer owned:
CCA 12 (Meh)
KZ ZS10 (Meh)
Blon BL-01 (Gave to friend)
Blon BL-03 (Gave to friend)
Heartmirror (It’s ok but prefer 03)
Tripowin x HBB Melee (Gave to friend)
Hidizs MS1 (It’s ok)
SIMGOT MT3 (It’s ok)
Tin HiFi T2 (It’s ok)
1More Quad Driver (Overpriced)
TRI Starsea (Fit issues)
Etymotics ER2SE (Wtf is this fit??)
Tanchjim Hana 2021 (Good resolution and tuning at price range–Gave to cousin)
Moon Drop Blessing 2 Dusk (Great tuning but fit issues–too big)
FiiO FD5 (Too v-shaped)
DUNU SA6 (Great tuning but BA bass/timbre and not as immersive as Teas)
Senheisser PCX37 (Recessed vocals and veiled details)
Shure SRH 840 (V shaped/meh vocals/treble spicy)
Monolith M1070 Open-back (Great tuning and tech but wayyyyy too big and heavy+hard to drive)
Currently Owned
Sony MH755 (Absolute steal for $10)
KOSS KSC75 (Absolute steal for $25)
Moondrop Starfield (Pretty good)
Airpods Pro (Convenient with good clear midrange/vocals)
Mangrid Tea (Favorite so far–Holographic staging/imaging with textured-intimate vocals–treble roll saved my ears–super immersive)
Planning to get
LETSHUOER EJ07 or EJ07M/Kinda Lava
Thieaudio Monarch MK2
UM MEST MK2
For context my library consists of Modern bands, Alternative, Ballads, Vocals, R&B.
IEM suggestions are welcomed! 
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Can’t edit my original post for some reason but sold and added a couple more IEM’s since I got into them last year.
2021:
Thieaudio Oracle - 
Sold
Thieaudio Monarch - Sold
64 Audio Trio - Sold
64 Audio U12t - 
In rotation
64 Audio A12t
Empire Ears Legend X - Sold
Hidition Viento-R - Sold
2022:
Empire Ears Odin - In rotation
Vision Ears Phonix - In rotation
FiR Audio Xenon 6 - In rotation
Update
My current line-up in order of preference from most favorite to least favorite:
- Tanchjim Oxygen
- GS Audio GD3A
- KZ CRN (with PEQ)
- Intime Sora Light 2019 (not modded, this is now my basshead set when I’m in that kinda mood)
I also bought two pairs of earbuds recently:
- Faaeal Iris 2.0
- Apple earphones (gen 2 I believe)
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If I remember everything correctly it is probably like that:
-Earpods
-RHA MA750i
-RHA MA750 wireless
-Sony XBA N3AP (unfortunetly sold them)
-BGVP DM6 (with custom faceplates)
-Moondrop Kanas Pro
-Airpods Pro
-Moondrop Shiroyuki
-Thieaudio Legacy 3
I’m probably getting 7hz Timeless or Moondrop Blessing 2 Dusk next
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Im kind of a weirdo and went in circles at the start lol. After the FH3 I did jump for upgrades, branching out and collecting though.
In order (from what i can remember…):
MeeAudio Pinnacle PX (dead, connector broke)
Tin T4 (retired)
Fiio FH3 (TWS Duty, EDC)
Moondrop Aria (sold)
UM 3DT (In rotation, desktop)
Thieaudio Clairvoyance (In rotation, EDC)
Audio Lokahi (In rotation, EDC)
Shuoer S12 (In rotation, EDC)
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I started listening to iem’s 2019 whit some blind ebay buy… and now i do 80% of my listening via iem’s
1.AAW AXH (1st love)
2.KBear Belive (1st 1dd)
3.Blon bl 05 (the cheap one)
4.Thieaudio Oracle (Sold, not what i was looking for)
5.Moondrop Variations (Daily driver)
6.7Hz Timeless (Sold, could not get it fit)
7.CA Dorado 2020 (Guilty pleasure)
8.lypertek pureplay z7 (Convenience)
Listend to a few more, but these the ones i lived with.
Next step will be a CIEM…
Iam going to visit a Vision Ears dealer in a few weeks an give thier stuff a try!
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Another update as of today, only new 2 IEMs again so far and I will give a quick summary to each:
2022
-
Moondrop Quarks: For the price you’re getting for it, I must say it’s pretty actually good to listen to and a good starting point to most people who are looking for cheap IEMs to get into this hobby of ours. Sure it’s not technically impressive, the soundstage is a bit narrow and the detail retrieval is not exactly to write home about, but there are times I just want to use it often due to it being light, comfortable to the ears and I am in a state saying “I just want to listen to fun music all day and not worry about anything else right now.” Pretty solid despite it being cheap. Also the reason that I bought this back then? was due to my curiosity and hear it for myself of what being stated on it is true.
-
Tin HiFi T3+: Tin, you have finally redeemed yourselves with these and I hope you are going to get back on track using the the T3+ as your main basis for your upcoming IEMs. I have listened to the sound demo of Dan’s Audio Reviews comparing it to the Ikko OH10s and My god, it’s goddamn impressive that the sounds you’re getting from it for the price and it’s a very close to the OH10s in terms of the sounds that I am hearing from his demo and I can see why the OH10s here have been one of the best recommendations, because the T3+ for me is that good. It’s like this IMO, it’s a mixture of 2 IEMs that I still love even to this day, the Tin T2s and the BLON-BL03s, combine the two and you’re getting the T3+ which is a huge improvement from Tin, making this their redemption arc IEMs so far. It’s a redemption arc to me, because their revisions of the T2 and their T5s have been most of the disappointing and I see it as “Why did you even make this” type of critique on their IEMs lately, but this? Just overall goodness, and right now I prefer the T3+ over my Arias.
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Talk about an old thread: here is my progression/update, I will skip a lot of sets:
Tin T2 → Final E2000 → Blon BL05-S → KZ ZSN Pro X → Oxygen → Sora Light → KZ ZEX Pro → Chu → Tin P1+ → Prisma Azul → Cadenza → HeartMirror Zero → Vulkan → Kiwi Ears Quartet → Olina SE → Sony A3.
I’m pretty happy with: Vulkan, A3, Quartet and Olina SE.
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Pre chi-fi rabbit hole (2008-2018): Various cheap sony, skullcandy and maxell earbuds (All broke) → Shure SE535 (Broke) → V-Moda ZN (Broke) → 1more Triple Driver (Given away) → Klipsch X11
Chi-fi era (2019-Present): Senfer DT6 → Jade Audio EA3 → Echobox Finder X11 (These sounded so terrible that I broke them.) → Moondrop Starfield → Fiio FA7 → Meze Rai Solo → Ibasso IT00 → DUNU EST 112 → Tripowin Mele (Gave mine away) Seeaudio Bravery - Thieaudio Legacy 4 → Fiio FD5 → Softears Volume → JVC HA-FDX1 → DUNU Vernus → Tripowin x HBB Olina → Final Audio EA500 (For tips) → Moondrop B2: Dusk → Xenns Mangird Tea 2 → Tangzu Wa’ner → Moondrop Kato (Never opened, gave mine away.) - Tangzu: Zeitan Wu Heyday → Sennheiser IE600 → Symphonium Meteor → 7th Acoustics Supernova.
Pending: Moondrop S8, stuck in Aliexpress snail mail, should have mine on hand this month.
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since that time there we’re a few new once in the Rotation.
1.AAW AXH
2.KBear Belive
3.Blon bl 05
4.Thieaudio Oracle
5.Moondrop Variations
6.7Hz Timeless
7.CA Dorado 2020
8.lypertek pureplay z7
9.Vision Ears VE 7 CIEM
10. Moondrop Kato
11. Sennheiser IE300
12.Denon PerL Pro/ Nuratrue Pro
13. Campfire Audio Andromeda 2018
14. Oriolus Szalayi
and the journey goes on, the IEM space is really interesting! So much Options!
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- Sennhieser ie200
- Blessing 2
- Aful 5
- Kato
- Blessing 2 dusk
- Blessing 3
- Thieaudio Oracle Mk2
- Thieaudio Monarch Mk2
- 64 audio U12T
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- IE8
- IE800
- Blon Bl03
- Moondrop Starfield
- Tinhifi T3 plus
- KZ Zex
- Jadeaudio EA3
- Fiio fh3
- Fiio JD1
- CCA CRA
- CCA Duo
- Moondrop Quark
- Moondrop Quark DSP
- 7hz Timeless
- 7hz Zero
- Moondrop Blessing 2 Dusk
- Truthear Zero
- Truthear Hexa
- Letshouer S12
- KZ PR2
- Moondrop Blessing 3
19.5 IE 200 - IE600
- Aful P8
- Moondrop Variation
- Truthear Zero Red
- Thieaudio Hype2
- Kiwiear Quintet
- Simgot EM6L
- Truthear Nova
- Thieaudio Monarch MK3
- Binary Chopin
- Simgot EA1000
Trying to order them by purchase time. Obviously there are a lot of hyped up sets I purchased across the years, and some of them to me at least, are pretty disappointing like BL03, Starfield, Quintet, EM6L etc. Right now I kept the Monarch MK3 and Variation and 7hz Zero2, sold everything else.
If I want to pick a good set I personally enjoyed in each price category, it would be:
7hz Zero 1/2, Zero Red, Chopin, Hype2, Aful P8, Variation, Monarch MK3
My special spot: B2 dusk, it tells me what’s good tuning, timbre quality, treble extension etc.
My no go IEMs due to tuning doesn’t fit my target even tho they are good (needs EQ badly): Timeless, Simgot EA1000, EM6L, Zex, S12
IEMs that I felt overly priced: IE600 (would buy if it was 300$), IE800&IE8 (outdated)
IEMs that I felt nothing special, don’t wanna listen to at all, or being boomy/distorted: Bl03, Starfield, both Quarks, Truthear Zero, Tanchjim zero, Quintet, Blessing 3, IE800, IE8, Truthear hexa/Nova, IE200, Fiio JD1 (very very bad).
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Had so many it’s hard to keep track of, here’s the highlights:
Using a 7hz Salnotes Zero:2 and have another Truthear Zero Red on the way because I regret selling it (comfort and super low bass distortion is excellent for gaming, also larger soundstage than the Zero:2). I still like the Zero:2 best for music though, no eq needed and 32 ohm is forgiving on sources like the phone.
Simgot EA500 a little bright but never boring depending on nozzle selection. They feel substantial and sturdy, and not overly heavy.
Recently had the Seeaudio Yume II, Blessing 2, Blessing 3, and Variations all at the same time to compare them for a week. They’re good but not worth the money if that’s a factor. They all needed correction and the humble $24 Zero:2 and Truthear Zero Red don’t. I just ignore price after hearing how good it gets in the under $90 bracket.
I just shop on avoiding recessed mids, shouty upper mids like female vocals, bass distortion, and sibilance.If an IEM doesn’t have those, I’ll probably like them…
For music the Zero:2, for gaming and music both, the Zero Red. Best IEM for gaming with soundstage is still the Seeaudio Yume II for it’s front to back depth, not just wide. It needs a 2db boost at 600hz for bring vocals up a little, but that’s easy in any music player.
I have the Simgot EA500 LM coming in a couple of days and really looking forward to it, and see how they changed it, or if it’s an improvement.
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Great list. I’ll have to make mine some day.
I agree with you on a lot of those, like bl03 (hated the boomy bass and lack of detail), Starfield (sounded too warm and too dark), both quarks as well (tuning was bad on the og one, treble was so harsh on the DSP version) and B3 (hated the tuning and the fit).
Yep Blon 03 is the one I immediately felt it was bad, too warm and obviously distorted, Starfield was the mid bass kinda being uncontrolled, Quark has unnatural peaks, DSP felt compressed.
Funny enough, I tried May and thought the same thing
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