Hey Guys, I’m back again after another year of not using IEMs and I want to like them and use them for my at desktop setup as my main driver and switch from headphones to it but I just never found the right IEM.
I’ll list what I’ve tried:
Blessing 2 Dusk: Honestly these were p good but this was also 3 years ago and I couldn’t really use them for home use for some reason.
Wu Heyday: This was my last pair and while they were good I just wasn’t feeling them. Idk why.
Airpod pro: honestly comfort is king on these. I can ahve these in my ear for a while and can have them constantly going. I don’t know if it’s the insertion or what but I enjoy it. I use the medium tips on these.
Softears RSV: These sounded great honestly. But I think the fit wasn’t perfect so I hated wearing them.
S12: It was too much treble and was fatiguing to listen to.
Headphone wise for sound my favorites are the LCD2C and the HD6XX. Both I enjoyed a ton.
I guess like, what I am wondering is that should I get an IEM and a dac amp setup for it and specific to it because right now i am using dac amp setup and was never able to get a good fit inserted into the 1/4 insert. (cable recs would be great too) I have an SMSL SP200 and a topping dac though I don’t remember which one I just know its very low end in 2018 so I might be due for an upgrade LMAO.
Music I listen to: Everything, like legit everything so honestly something that is good at everything or something that is just relaxed so I can have them on for hours at a time. I think that would be great.
Budget: Honestly 300-500 would be good, willing to buy used as well. If something is like super special I can push to a higher bracket and search for used as well. I guess I am curious about what has come out in the past year and the new meta IEMs and if that tuning would be better for someone like me.
Sorry for the rambling post I just really want to like IEMs and I want to find out.
As long as there weren’t a lot of significant complaints about the sound of your previous models aside from s12, pretty safe endgame-ish recomendation to my mind would be Hisenior Mega5-EST and i/O Volare (apparently from the secondary market). Both are very balanced and inoffensive to my taste (especially Mega5), though not boring at all. I don’t see any reasons to buy some special source for them, they worked perfectly fine from my Topping dx3 pro+/Qudelix 5k/Meizu hifi dac pro.
There are also a couple of cheaper but potentially good options like Moondrop Dusk and Mangird Tea Pro, but i haven’t trided them.
Honestly the Mega5EST was on my radar. Also the xenns TOP seem p great too but I know thats more u shaped. Ill take a look at the mangrids though for sure.
A pair that is super unique that it’s kinda regarded as the bass king is Scarlet minis, they are small but have enough insertion depth I have no issues wearing them for hours. They can be found used in your budget and they come with some great accessories.
Have you tried tip rolling? If not I would definitely try it. I had a similar experience as you with a couple iem’s. I couldn’t get them to sit well or make a proper seal. So I bought a bunch of tips, and found out the Dunu S&S give me the best comfort and seal.
So it’s worth a try. I read all the time about people not liking the tips that came with their iem. Then they’ll tip roll and find the ones that work for them.
As for a stack for iem’s I don’t think that’s needed at all. A simple dongle should do it for most of them out there. That’s half the appeal of iem’s, that they’ll run off a potato.
Wouldn’t those not work because of them being super bass heavy so its not going to be good for certain genres?
Yeah, I’ve used a few different tips. CP145 didn’t fit me at all in large. Crystals were alright but I think I just don’t know what a perfect fit is. I think spinfits also weren’t that good for me? idk it’s hard to describe because it’s like I have my airpods pro and they are still with the default tips and they just work. So I’m not too sure.
Recommendations based on your two owned headphones, as I owned the LCD-2C and still own the HD 6XX. The LCD-2C remains the only can I have regretted selling, for context!
AFUL Explorer = LCD-2C. Warm sound signature, enough detail in the treble to please, but your ears won’t be killed by murder spikes or spice. Very fun, controlled bass, with tactile mid-bass. An easy, all-day listen. Non-fatiguing. Great comfort. Like most IEMs, tip rolling helps. I prefer Dunu S&S with these. $110-120.
AFUL MagicOne = HD 6XX. It’s all about those mids, baby. The MagicOne uses a single BA to create lovely mids and uses some sort of acoustic tubing to create a bit more bass. This is a detailed, neutral IEM with fantastic mids. Tip rolling can give you more bass, if desired, just like pad rolling and mods like the Custom Cans driver weight can add more bass to the HD 6XX. Very comfortable fit. Needs non-stock tips. I prefer Final Type E with these. $110-130.
Now, this probably reads like I’m an AFUL stan. Full disclosure: I do enjoy AFUL products. Good sound, engineering, build quality and value for price.
But I own IEMs from other brands, too. It just so happens both of my AFUL models match well – well, not identical! – with the sound signatures of your two headphones. And they won’t break the bank.
I don’t know your budget or financial situation, but do you really want to drop $500 on an IEM if you’re not sure you even like them?
$500+ for an IEM is getting toward upper mid-fi, almost like starting your headphone journey with an LCD-X 2021 or a low-end ZMF. That’s a big leap, man.
Might be smarter to try a cheaper, yet still quality, model to sample sound signatures and tunings.
Warning: A lot of IEMs don’t hold resale value as long as over-ear cans because the IEM market advances so quickly. Today’s darling is a forgotten, jilted lover within three to six months with a lot of IEMs. They don’t hold long-term value nearly as well as headphones, IMO.
Yeah, I understand the concern there. I am fine with spending this money because I’ve tried numerous IEMs and have purchased others before used. So I’ve tried a lot and enjoyed a lot it’s always the comfort that got me. Though I guess I should tiproll moreso than iem hunt. I’ll honestly check out aful though and take a look at the explorer which seems really interesting for my needs. I will check it out. I think tip rolling with final E, dunu, and others would be the move as well. Becuase I did enjoy the sound of the dusk 2 and the RSV when I owned them.
Aful Explorer is very nice IEM acrually, so +1 here.
The only downside for me is that they often motivated me to raise the volume, because of them being shy in mid-high region. But if you prefer high-volume listening or very sensitive to 2-4 kHz region, than they may become your go to model.
I feel that. I always try to listen around 50% nowadays and try not to go too hard on the volume to protect my hearing.
Update on my journey:
I am still kind of lost but I might have a better idea what I want. Due to the fact that i mostly listen to stuff like:
I’m not too sure what I would need that would make all 3 of these sound great.Like what sound signature works. Or if I would just need to get two different sets. I want something still that is comfortable and as I remember my time with IEM. Physical comfort was always my issue. Like it could never fit in properly. So I guess tip rolling is my big thing. Though I would like something physically comfortable.
I still am looking at the 400-500 range and looking at stuff like the
EM10, Studio 4, Hype 4, Pilgrim, Variations, and others around that range. I also don’t mind jumping to the next tier up for something like the oracle mk3 if it’s truly worth it. Or go used and get a higher tiered one for used. Sorry for the rambling I just am all over the place when it comes to deciding to buy anything.
Why these?) You prefer warm / neutral sound according to your headphones, but your examples seem more V-shape. Studio 4 is mostly natural sounding, very good at mids and highs reproduction, but for me it’s quite boring due to the lack of bass. Pilgrim is also nice IEM, pretty much balanced with good amount of sub bass, though might be a bit dry for some heavy genres enjoyers. Hype 4 definitely has huge emphasis on bass and top end. So as the Monarch mk3.
Honestly, I picked those because honestly those are the most acclaimed ones in that like 400-600 price bracket that I’ve been eyeing. Honestly I’ve mostly just been sennheiser only since I had the HD800 that I loved in terms of sound but got rid of it and went to the HD6XX and LCD2C which are way more warm and neutral. I guess it’s like I see some of these listed as harman neutral or neutral or bassy neutral. I guess IEMs just tend to be more v shaped which I guess it’s something I would need to look at. I have also considered the Xenn TOP but idk if that’s been outclassed already. Like sound wise I enjoyed every IEM i’ve owned outside of the s12. Loved the RSV and the Dusk 2 the most. But then again maybe my music tastes just aren’t really lined up with what i use to listen to it?
RSV and Mega5-EST have a lot in common actually. Never compared them directly, but both are very balanced and mostly universal, though from my memory Hisenior has more extension on top and smaller nozzle.
Hey guys, wanted to give an update on my journey and what I have done.
So I ended up buying the truthear REDs off someone on reddit and tried them out. Comfort wise with spinfit 155 L they weere fantastic. They were able to stay in my ear and I was able to just have them on for long periods of time. However, the sound on them just felt like there was some sparkle missing. Like they sounded very veiled in a way. Which had me wanting more as I added a bit of treble at 12k on spotify and it made them sound great.
Ended up doing something really impulsive and bought the 7th acoustic supernova and from a sound perspective they were absolutely fantastic. Loved listening to these. However the comfort kept getting to me. They kept slipping out of my right ear no matter what size or type of eartip i used. Was never able to get a good seal in my right ear with these when I was able to do that for the REDs. I tried wikth both sets of eartips included which included the final audio type E. Great tips btw. I also have a pair of velvets L that I love for comfort as well. All of them still caused the right ear to slip out over time and very quickly. Ended up returning them this morning.
Now that leads to my thoughts and question. I guess I do want something that has more energy than the truthear reds/similar to the supernova while being able to ge a great fit in. I think what kills the supernova for me is the CIEM style fit. I think the hump that it has caused it to push out of my ear. So I guess my question is, what should I get that isn’t ciem style or really have that hump or have like a deeper insertion? I’m not too sure what supernova is classified as when it comes to fitment. I thought about maybe IE600 since I can get a great discount on them new. But qc issues and the fact that they hate moisture scares me. So I am open to suggestions from up to 600 dollars.
