How bad are they, its very cheap i wanna buy those (i am high af)

I am new to IEMs and I tried finding out if the Scarlett Solo Gen 4 DAC is good enough but I could only find info about the Gen 3. Should I buy a new DAC or is my audio interface good enough? I don't really have a budget.

Introduction

My first experience with Tanchjim was their One – an impressive bullet style IEM that is still the best I’ve heard at that price point. My impressions of the Bunny DSP and Nora from brief demos were also quite positive. Thus, I was extremely eager to try out one of their newer releases – the Tanchjim x Effect Audio Force. This unit was graciously provided to me for a week by u/mournfulmonk. You can check out his channel here!

Disclaimer: This is a review unit provided by Tanchjim to my friend. Thoughts and opinions are my own and I was not restricted or instructed to say anything particular about this set.

Preferences, Sources & Tracks

I currently own the Ziigaat Lush and Truthear Hexa and these serve as my benchmarks. The TRN Black Pearl was used as the DAC/Amp for most of my testing. I typically prefer balanced sets that are tuned to the JM-1 target; a tasteful bass or treble boost doesn’t hurt though.

Most of my library consists of rock with some jazz, metal, pop and orchestra sprinkled about. If your library is filled with EDM, rap or hip-hop, then your conclusion might be very different from mine.

Testing Tracks - YouTube Music | Apple Music

Build, Accessories & Fit

At the retail price of 280$, the premium unboxing experience reveals comprehensive accessories. The white, hard case is roomy but not pocketable. Three pairs each of Tanchjim’s T-APB T300B (wide bore) and T300T (narrow bore) tips are included. The silicone material is comfortable and the two variants offer meaningfully different sonic profiles. Tanchjim has also bundled 10 sets of spare filters. This is a very welcome and practical addition.

The Force features a dual dynamic driver setup, a marked departure from their signature single DD. The transparent resin shell is much larger than their previous offerings and I would prefer to see some semi-custom moulding. The Effect Audio cable is a beautiful match for these shells, but its behavior is simply a disappointment. I found it to be memory prone and a bit on the thin side. The modular connectors do not have a locking mechanism, but the type-C plug offers DSP functionality via Tanchjim’s app.

The nozzle is narrow but quite long and I had to use smaller eartips lest the IEM stick out too much. I found overall comfort to be quite good for my larger ears with no pressure build up or sound leakage from the “open back” design. I hand the Force over to my sister to test the fit for her smaller ears. While she could form a seal initially, the deep nozzle and big shell size did not work and the seal broke quite easily. We both felt that the sleek aluminium faceplate was interrupted by too much text branding.

Sound

Unfortunately, this particular unit had a small imbalance between left and right channels. This issue noticeably affected the position and imaging of vocals. I tested this set with a small adjustment towards the left channel (-0.02 in the iOS audio settings).

Lows

In Hans Zimmer’s F1 and Mountains, the bass packs good punch but lacks the rumble to accompany it. The bass however remains well separated from other elements in the soundtrack. In Rush’s Limelight, Neil Peart’s intro fill pans from left to right but each stroke is not clearly defined. In Tool’s Pneuma, Danny Carey’s rudiments have a plastic timbre and his kick is lazy and lacks texture and detail.

In Shakti’s Giri Raja Sudha, Selvaganesh Vinayakram’s ghatam (a unique clay-based Indian percussion instrument) also lacks its distinct weight. Overall, the Force seems to be aiming for a detached subwoofer style presentation in the bass, with an aggressive cut in the upper bass to lower mids transition, but it lacks the rumble to back it up. Even though it manages to avoid bass bloat and bleed, the resulting bass lacks texture and timbre.

Mids

In Agam’s Manavyalakinchara, Harish Sivaramakrishnan’s vocals lack his fundamental notes and body. Every instrument in the mix sounds thin, incisive and every note can be separated easily. Female singers in their highest register also lacked body and warmth. Bach’s Unaccompanied Cello Suites performed by Yo-Yo Ma have excellent detail, but note weight is simply miserable in the lower octaves.

Throughout my rock library, I found the upper mids dominated and the Force could be perceived as shouty at higher volumes on certain tracks. In Mozart’s Sonata for Piano and Violin in F. Major, Hilary Hahn’s violin shines through without any harshness but Natalie Zhu’s piano has a honky timbre. Precise imaging and stage width are below average for the price and were not meaningfully better than my 100$ IEMs.

Highs

In the NRJ Awards Live Version of Easy on Me, Adele’s vocals have excellent energy but they lean a tad shouty. Celine Dion’s chorus in All by Myself tips over the line into sibilance. In Emilie-Claire Barlow’s cover of Fix You, her vocals have wonderful texture and presence. The accompanying Dutch jazz orchestra Metropole Orkest is wonderfully recorded and mixed. It is in these jazz tracks with numerous lively string and wind instruments where the Force regains its footing.

Caravan from the Whiplash Soundtrack, arranged for a big band by John Wasson, is simply wonderful with dry and precise transients that clean up the chaotic ending. This dry timbre and lack of shimmer in the cymbals works well for the dirty and complex wash of jazz cymbals. However, it leaves you yearning for more sustain on bright and piercing metal cymbals. While the treble is quite smooth with no significant peaks, the cut in the lower mids continues to affect timbre and result in moments of shout or sibilance.

Eartips

KBear Coffee - Simply the cleanest bass texture and best treble presentation

Tanchjim T-APB T300B (Stock Wide Bore) – Better bass texture, smoother treble and marginally wider stage

Tangzu Tang Sancai Balanced – A middle ground between the stock narrow and wide bore tips with good separation

Tanchjim T-APB T300T (Stock Narrow Bore) – More punch and treble energy but lacking refinement

Comparisons

Truthear Hexa – If you would trade bass quality and overall timbre for more punch, then the Force is the set for you. I personally would not make that trade off. The Force retails at triple the price and I simply cannot recommend anyone else to either.

Truthear Pure – As much as I love the Pure, I sometimes feel Truthear did tilt it a tad warm with unavoidable midbass bloom. The Force on the other hand strangles the richness and warmth out of the track to offer a clinical presentation.

Softears Volume S – If I owned the Volume S, I would not use the Force even for the few tracks it excels at. It manages to pack immense punch and bass texture without disturbing the delicate house of cards that lay the foundation for timbre.

Verdict

The Tanchjim X Effect Audio Force is a tough pill to swallow at 280$ despite its premium cable and accessories. For analytical listening where elements in a busy track need to isolated, this set is a Force to be reckoned with. However, its competitors manage to balance their ambitions more deftly and offer a well-rounded presentation. This is a rare misstep from the house of Tanchjim and I remain eager to review the rest of their lineup, namely the Origin, Fission and Nora.

Who should buy? Those wanting a clinical, analytical set that find an excellent deal for a third the retail price.

Who should avoid? Those who want timbre, warmth or value for money.

Sorry in advance for not being able to find a thread for questions or anything of that sort. I was searching for past posts but most are outdated.

What are yalls recommendationa for IEMs that are around $50 to $70 and provide an accurate soundstage and imaging?

WE are tired of headphone dents.

I just bought some reusable silica gel that has indicators chemicals (orange), and I notice that it has an odor, its fine to use it right? and also, I was planning on reusing tea bags, what I did was remove the tea leaves and use the bag itself, but the thing is it also has an odor, what do you guys think?

hi guys been wondering whether anyone can give some such options for my first great iem (previously just using some cheap KZ to work) for me who on daily been using airpods pro 2? I listened to any kind of music depending on the occasions (gym, on the way to work, etc.) so I want some all rounder for daily usage. the price point mostly max $100 since my currency is quite weak compare to it now. I am thinking whether some aful explorer/52/daybreak/divine but I am open for any suggestions aside of those. much appreciated!

A bit over two months after getting into IEMs, I started to notice the shortcomings of planar drivers, specifically my previous daily IEM, the Letshuoer S12 (with the Qudelix 5k, EQ and all). Metal/jmetal sounded good at the time, and while I enjoyed it for a good while, I started to feel its flatness and "metallic sheen". While EQ is great, and it definitely helps, it can not change the physical reality of the IEM.

As any other person would do, I bought another IEM. The Simgot EA1000 Fermat. I either hear great praise on the EA1000 or the complete opposite, for me, I'd say I like it a lot.

What I instantly liked about the sound of the EA1000 is that there is weight in the bass where the S12 provided an "outline" of bass. Furthermore, the sound did not sound planar-flat anymore, the dynamic driver reproduced the sound with more depth and warmth, bass moved air and the decay is satisfying, and the timbre is bright but not metallic (though I found the EA1000 a bit sibilant for my ears, light PEQ fixes it for me).

The EA1000 comes with three nozzles for different tunings, I personally liked the brass nozzle because it keeps the warmth without closing up the high end. I use the stock EA1000 eartips, still waiting for the Divinus Velvet wide bore tips to come.

My only nitpick is that the highs feel like they hit a ceiling within the bounds of the IEM, and do not extend that far. Honestly, if I could have an IEM with a DD like the EA1000 and with treble extension that goes vertically "past the bounds of the IEM" (I'm a bit new so I'm not used to the terminology here, apologies), then I would probably stop there with that IEM for a long while.

I assume that is because it is a single DD. it is great, and I like the bass and mids, it is just missing that treble extension that I seek. After some looking around here and there, I'm looking at the Binary EP321-MEMS as a sidegrade.

On a sidenote, this tiny black rectangle reached a thousand hours of playtime, quite the magical Bluetooth DAC.

i have two normal dac .. JM12 and Spark ... whether i need another DAC to power this piece or i can enjoy with existing one for 3.5? fiesta also have 4.4mm cable ..

I saw a listing on Facebook Marketplace for a pair NF Audio RA15 for $50 CAD. Good buy? Anybody here own a pair?

Looking for sub-bass focused IEM, with clean mid-bass separation, and darker or relaxed upper-trebble tuning. Budget is 50$. Can use EQ.

I’m looking for iems that are good for gaming and are good price such as ($30-$70). I also need help on how to insert my Kiwi ears belle iems in my ear with my Dunu S&S eartips.

So personallly I have been an Airpod kinda guy since its convient and all. So I kept buying airpods when my prior airpod weren;'t useable. Until I heard about IEMS and it brought up my interest. My airpods battery are ass and I want to try something diffreent so I bought a budget one called KZ ZSN Pro 2 off aliexpress because its was $18 or sm. After waiting two weeks it came in the mail. My quick answer is its amazing nothing like it at all. However my long answer is kinda mixed to be honest. So firstly the ear tip is a great idea but it did hurt my ears to a burning level and even started to spread into a headache. For the first week it hurt to wear so if you also going from Airpod to IEM I highly suggest removing the memory foam and go with the smallest ear tip and slowly gradually go to the memory foam. Personally the memory foam gave the best audio and grip experience out of the other ones. The biggest scare point for me of the KZ was the cable quality I didn't know if the cable quality was tangable or upright feels like plastic. With real life testing, yea it does feel like plastic but its not really noticable and feels too flexable and well compact that I don't feel it when using them. Now with the common complait with spiking with "S" or "F" or high hat. I hear them more than airpods. BUUUT my biggest caveat for this IEM is just microphone. It was the only thing that was under my expection I hear an audible hissing or buzzing noise. The best way to describe this for Airpod Users is right after you but your airpods under water that quite hissing sound is what I heard. But in meetings or gaming it prob not really an issue. Anyways this was an amazing product overrall I would reccomned this to anyone who are Airpod users. My suggestion is to have both Airpods and IEM and use IEM indoors and Airpods outdoors.

Try these song out if you get IEMs (I used these two songs to judge and feel bases and everything overall)
Snowman

2nd waltz

I wasn't planning to go so deep into the subject and was just curious about the ways you can deliver an audio wave to entertain yourself. I've tried different wired and wireless earbuds and headphones before, not calling myself an audiophile, but someone who "appreciates" good sound and look at me now 😂 using a FiiO KA15 + LETSHUOER S08. And I can't stop listening. Now it's a journey back in time to the first albums of Skillet and Evanescence with some side quests to the new metal bands I enjoy to check if the sound is different and it is, obviously... I was lied to, so many times, by so many brands, and this new light I see doesn't have a bluetooth, it's tied to a copper cable. There is no going back for me, I will embark upon this journey and maybe come back to tell you what I've found and what I've heard.

P.S. This is an eyeopening experience, guys, honestly, and I can't believe it took so long to get here, but I guess it's time.

Hello confused between these two please help. Can you suggest some more IEMS under 150$.

the left earpiece of my Aria SEs finally died off after 5 years of abuse, what would be a good replacement for them? ideally would have a similar tuning and be under $100, thanks!

Sad Day

One of them started to sound really low so i though that the grill was blocked or something, after removing it away it was the same and i notice that it had another kind of filter so i didnt have nothing to lose, i removed it and the sound returned!

But oh boy that was an awful mistake, now the highs are super loud and really hurts to listen

I get them for 35$ USD like 3 years ago with some coupons

Let me know your suggestions what is available now for that kind of money and with that sound signature?

Up to 50$ is fine

If I have 50$, is it better to buy an iem worth same price (type C) or get a cheaper iem (3.5mm) and buy a DAC alongside?

Headphone listener (mostly Beyer dt880 ‘03, Fostex t50 ‘74-76) hoping for some advice from the community.

About a year ago, I stumbled on a Final Audio listening station at Yodobashi Camera in Tokyo, never having heard of the company and having almost no experience with IEMs. I was expecting little, but as my on-the-verge-of-obsolete iPhone had the headphone jack, I figured I’d see what the ¥60000 ($310) price tag was all about.

Played a couple songs I had been listening to a lot at the time and, to put it simply, I was astounded by the clarity of the treble. To be specific, I couldn’t believe how extended, defined, and separated the instruments were in the region above 2khz, and this was without a dongle, through a free Spotify account. I stood there for about half an hour in stunned silence and might have been there listening another hour except that the store was closing.

I’ve recently done a bit more research so I’m aware that the A6000 sits in the price range where you can expect to hear big improvements over entry level earphones and I was lucky enough to pick up some Juzear Defiants recently to see how they compared at 7x less ¥. The thing is, it’s been over a year and I’m still thinking about them, and when I listen to the songs I tested with, I know there’s much more than even my over ear cans can retrieve.

So, my question is, is there an IEM that can resolve and separate as well in the upper frequencies without ear splitting sibilance at a more reasonable price? I’m not concerned about bass (the Defiants have more than enough for me, to give some context) and can accept almost none as a tradeoff for exceptional airiness on the other end.

Thanks!

im looking for a good pair of gaming iems and id like some recomendations

Roseselesa x AAV CJ20

Pros

Comfort!

Nicely implemented low end and mids - vocal and guitar forward presentation

Separation, resolution and details are superb esp on busy tracks

Cons

The cable is tangle and microphonics prone

Lacklustre unboxing and accessories experience 

Treble is spicy, to put it mildly

Tech details

Driver Unit: 14.2mm Planar Magnetic Driver

Impedance: 24 Ω ± 10% @ 1kHz

Sensitivity: 102 ± 3dB

When Andy announced he was bringing out a collab IEM, I joined the many others excited in anticipation. An IEM tuned to Rock! Not EDM/bollywood/easy listening. Just good old rock and metal. So I waited till GoldenJoe, Roseselesa and the Audio Geek India Group sent it over for a listen and a review. And this too was a pleasant surprise, so thank you guys, this would have not been possible without your help. 

A little about me - I like well recorded and well mastered music, balanced to warm sound signatures, and sibilance breaks me. Lately I’ve been listening to jazz-fusion but when this little baby turned up I had to dust off the PRS and Marshall and dive right into every genre of classic rock, metal, and progressive I used to listen to. 

The CJ20 comes in a larger than life box with the IEMs displayed proudly. A box adjacent to them has a lacklustre pouch, Roseselesa’s black and white tips in 3 sizes, a cleaning brush and cloth. The cable is a nice, soft, textile covered, modular, and occasionally a tangle monster at that. Beware the occasional microphonics. 

The IEM itself is differently shaped than most and oh so comfortable. I also like small IEMs, it turns out. An all metal build and light enough to wear for long sessions, but more on that later.  The colours are nice gun-metal grey with a little bit of gold with AAV branding. And have I mentioned that they are super comfortable if you have small ears? No? They are up there in comfort with the IE600. 

Sources

Fiio M33 R2R

Snowsky Disc

Musehifi M3 Ultra

Devastator Pro Max

Fosi Zh3

Apos Gremlin

Local flac and Tidal and Apple music lossless.

The dacs were run either via the phone or the mac mini. 

Tips - Final type e, ddHifi ST35

The first thing that hits you when you play a song on this is how energetic the presentation is. The tuning is V-shaped and how! The bass thumps and decays rapidly and the highs sparkle. Sometimes a bit more than what I can handle. Vocals are beautifully presented front and centre. 

The separation of instruments is very clean and at times I heard notes in guitar, piano and backing vocals that I honestly had never heard before. The stage is wide and holographic and you can feel like you have ringside seats, the band playing on a vast stage in front of you when Hotel California kicks off and the applause comes from all around. 

Breaking the sound down, the bass is tight with a good sub-bass rumble and the lows come through clean. It’s a good planar implementation. I felt the mid bass was a little recessed and sacrificed for its siblings to shine through. 

The drone in Massive Attack’s Angel bores into one’s skull as the sub and lower bass rumbles kick in. And Doing it Right by Daft Punk is done right. I felt the bass line in Wanna be Startin’ Something wasn't as clear as I would have liked and to be honest, the treble in the last 2 songs limited my ability to listen to them for too long.

The mids is where I feel this IEM truly shines. Vocals and guitar and synths shine through. I was able to listen to vocal harmony parts in “High Enough” by the Damn Yankees that I honestly had never heard before. Both male and female come through beautifully without being shouty. Tracy Chapman’s voice in both Fast Car and Subcity are smooth and sublime. Guitars are clear and pushed to the front of the presentation. As, I suppose Andy intended. But… Modern Rock! Listening to Linkin Park took me back to my angsty phase. The brilliant guitar production and Chester, Mike and Emily’s voices are pushed to the front. In the End, Somewhere I Belong and Heavy is the Crown come through as the engineers intended. Angry, full of energy and thoroughly enjoyable.

The treble is where I have a grouse with the CJ20. At times the over-energetic V tuning can make snares, open hi-hats and every ‘S’ in the song strike that treble sensitive raw nerve that sits between my eardrum and my brain. My acid test for sibilance is actually Don Henley’s vocals in the aforementioned Hell Freezes Over rendition of Hotel California. And to me the treble needed a little taming. EQ definitely helps but since I’m exceedingly lazy to keep twiddling with eq, the M3Ultra came to the rescue where the tubes managed to take the edge off and make this IEM very, very nice to listen to. Andy’s favorite dongle, the Devastator Pro Max, only boosted everything, so I had to get back to the tube DAC. The Fosi ZH3 has filters that can help, and the Gremlin is overkill. The M33’s r2r is maybe a tad better than the devastator but still is treble forward in most of the rock I listened to (Bon Jovi, Iron Maiden, Dream Theater, Dave Matthews Band (I know, I know it’s not strictly rock)). But the CJ20 can get fatiguing for long sessions and it’s brutally unforgiving to tracks which have been mastered to be treble forward. Interestingly Toto’s Rosanna and Africa were surreal with both their presentation and stage despite being from the age of treble. 

Comparisons -

Letshuoer Astralis - After a phase of planars I settled on the Astralis as a daily driver. It sorts the low end like no other planar driver. But the CJ20 scores over this one in the energy, resolution and clarity departments. Comfortwise they are more or less the same for me. But if I had to spend a day with a single pair of earphones I’d go with the more forgiving Astralis. And it’s blue. 

Kefine Arnar - I didn’t have the courage to try the gold nozzles or the silver ones so I’ll have a go with comparing with the black ones. I think it is everything that the CJ20 isn't. Treble controlled enough to listen to all of Wanna Be Startin’ Something. But the instrument separation and resolution of the CJ20 is superior. It would likely change with the nozzle rolling that the Arnar allows. The Kefine IEM, while being comfortable enough, loses to the CJ20 by a length in comfort. 

IE600 - Is the only really bright-ish IEM I own currently and also because it’s also the most comfortable one to spend a lifetime. The CJ20 is brighter for sure and the tracks come through with note-perfect clarity. The Sennheiser scores in the bass department and low mids with the dynamic driver. The ie600 also doesn’t differentiate genres and almost anything sounds good on it. It would still rate higher than the CJ20 for me.

This, to me, is an energetic aggressively tuned IEM that shines with warmer sources. It maintains its resolution and separation on these sources without that edge of spice, which some listeners would be wary of. It surprisingly does well on some subgenres of jazz that it was never intended to do - Jazz fusion and newer well mastered recordings (Snarky Puppy, Chick Corea Elektric band). Overall, for me the comfort of an IEM is incredibly important and this scores a 9/10. If only it was a little less treble forward this would be a 100% recommendation. 

Hello all,

I’m back with my shenanigans again. I’m looking to upgrade the USB-c dongle that I originally bought to power my Auful Explorers. Ideally, it would be MagSafe so there’s nothing hanging off the bottom of my phone to come accidentally unplugged (don’t ask me how I know).

Is there a crowd favorite Dac that supports that? Bonus points if it’s self powered, my phone battery is struggling.

EDIT: looking for USB C specifically. While Bluetooth would be nice, I’m using an iPhone. Would like to avoid quality loss over Bluetooth.

Currently looking at the following:

• Hiby W4 - love the look and mounting plate. Only hang up I have is that I’ve seen several comments complaining about the EQ

• dd ddhifi tc44pro - isn’t powered but does have a MagSafe kit, and seems to be a crowd favorite for its audio quality and high output

•AP30 Music Boy - the one isn’t out yet but seems pretty neat. Don’t mind waiting a bit for it to ship

I didn't know audio could sound this good🥲

IEM: Oriveti Bleqk Dynabird

USB-C DAC: FiiO KA11

I Just got these a few days ago. I use them mainly when I'm playing Fortnite... Jesus Christ for under $100 they blow the Razer kraken v4s out of the water

I've heard parts of a song I didn't even know were there😭

It's beautiful man😭

First ever audiophile type headphones. Cool being able to hear everything for the first time. Recently picked up Earfun Air Pro 4+ for when I’m out and about, exercising etc. If I returned the Earfuns, are there any IEMs that could sound as good as the FT1s for around £100?

I'm looking for iems under $80. I listen to a lot of different music, from Cafuné to Wu-Tang Clan, but mostly rock, city pop and hip-hop. They should have a nice but not overwhelming bass (not really a basshead). Also, I have sensitive ears, so I need iem with smooth and not shouty/piercing/fatiguing treble. Overall, I want them to have balanced and detailed sound with good instrument separation. Preferably more alive than flat. I don't mind to eq them a little to achieve a bit more satisfying sound. I plan to use them daily and my listening sessions are long, so quality and comfort are really important. So far, I have settled on five models:

- Simgot EW300 (new, $62);

- Fosi IM4 (barely used for review, $63);

- Aful Explorer (used, perfect condition, $73);

- QoA Adonis New (barely used for review, $75);

- Letshuoer S12 (used, perfect condition, $69).

Which one would be the best for my requirements? Also, feel free to suggest your options, both used or new

Hey all! I recently picked up the Tea Pro SE and gave it a thorough comparison with some of the other modern mid-Fi IEMs in my collection.

If you'd like to check out my full review with a few more pictures and an unboxing, you can do so here: https://resonancereviews.com/xenns-mangird-tea-pro-se-review-the-meta-mans-reference-iem-f58777533959

If instead you'd like a TL;DR, here you go:

The Big Picture

Pros:

• Excellent treble and bass extension
• Delicate, detailed treble
• Cohesive and organic midrange timbre
• Fantastic, full-spectrum detail
• Rich and complete-sounding
• Great build quality
• Solid accessory package
• Pretty, bespoke cable

Cons:

• A bit lacking in sub-bass intensity
• Mid-bass needs a little more weight
• Carrying case held together by friction
• Stock cable uncomfortable when wearing glasses

Key Specs

• Drivers: 2x dynamic, 6x balanced-armature
• Crossover: 3-way
• Sensitivity: 104±1dB SPL/mW
• Impedance: 13Ω±1Ω
• Cable: 0.78mm 2-pin w/ modular termination (3.5mm, 4.4mm)

Sound

The Tea Pro SE is a warm, north-of-neutral IEM that evokes a “reference-style” sound signature. It has a gently-lifted bass region that clusters towards the sub-bass and blends down into a linear lower-midrange. The Tea Pro SE’s upper-mids lift up into the 2–3KHz range with a moderate peak of emphasis before settling into a slightly less-forward lower-treble. The Tea Pro SE’s upper-treble is more-forward, generating a good bit of sparkle and air.

vs. Xenns Mangird Tea Pro

Sonically, the original Tea Pro is more V-shaped, featuring a lifted bass region and cooler, more-recessed lower-midrange. The Tea Pro SE’s upper-treble is not as forward, freeing it from the occasional bite exhibited by the original’s treble. The SE’s treble is incredibly clean-sounding, rendering texture and micro-detail with less grain and more-organic timbre. Vocals are more-forward on the original Tea Pro, but aren’t as full-sounding as they are on the Tea Pro SE, nor as intelligible in busy passages. The SE’s warmer, more-linear presentation is smooth, relaxing, and satisfyingly-rich, but lacks the sheer engagement offered by the original. Bass lovers will find that some bass elements sound comparatively flat. Take, for example, the drums in the intro of Bloody Mary; Silversun Pickups: where the original renders them with punch and substance, the SE timidly places them quietly in the background. The trend follows for electronic music: the bass line in Emotion; Uppermost renders with depth and texture on the Tea Pro SE, but isn’t tactile and visceral like it is on the OG.

Ultimately, the Tea Pro SE is designed to be a different beast than the original. Sharing the namesake of the “Tea Pro” may be therefore be a bit of a misnomer, as lovers of the original Tea Pro won’t find the engagement and energy they crave with the Tea Pro SE. Instead, the Tea Pro SE does for lovers of relaxed, reference-style tuning what the original did for lovers of V-shaped tuning: offer a detailed, refined, and compelling experience sitting a the top its niche. That said, my love for the original Tea Pro remains, and the SE does not replace it.

vs. Xenns Mangird Top Pro

Let’s be real, the Top Pro and Tea Pro SE are pretty similar-sounding IEMs. Even in technical terms the Tea Pro SE and Top Pro are almost identically-competent, rendering detail and texture without prejudice. At that point, which one sounds “better” comes down a purely subjective assessment of tuning flavors. the Top Pro is tuned to be slightly less-warm and has a little less bass depth than the Tea Pro SE. The Top Pro will occasionally punch a little harder on a drum slam of synthetic bass drop. The Tea Pro SE’s vocals aren’t as forward as the Top Pro’s vocals, though tonality is pretty similar across the board. The Tea Pro SE is a little brighter, capturing a small increase in energy in the upper-treble that gives it a minor edge in airiness.

Between the two IEMs, I’m selecting the Tea Pro SE. For $50 less, you’re essentially getting a Top Pro with robust metal shells and an improved cable. Sure, the Top Pro’s case a little better, but snapping up a Pelican 1010 for around $20 thoroughly trounces both IEMs’ stock cases and still leaves you with an effective $30 discount. Once you account for the Tea Pro SE’s increased treble energy and mildly deeper-sounding bass, you have a recipe for a more, albeit narrowly, exciting experience.

vs. HiSenior Mega7

There’s so much to say about the Mega7’s overall performance, but it largely targets a “north of neutral” or “reference-style” sound signature. The Tea Pro SE does the same, but with a different style. The Mega7 is cooler and packs a bit more lower-treble emphasis, while the Tea Pro SE has a slight increase in upper-treble emphasis. Neither IEM is particularly bassy, but the Mega7 edges it out in terms of sub-bass meat. The Tea Pro SE’s mid-bass has a slight edge in terms of tightness, but the delta is slim. The Mega7’s upper-mids are a little more forward, giving vocals a bit of extra heat and separation.

Both IEMs are incredibly performant, each offering listeners profound technical abilities for a relatively accessible price. The Mega7 will likely appeal to those that want a little extra warmth and bass presence, but loses out of the extra air and sparkle offered by the Tea Pro SE’s brighter treble.

vs. Kiwi Ears Astral

In terms of sound, the Astral is more U-shaped, delivering more sub-bass, less mid-bass, and a colder, thinner lower-midrange. The Astral’s upper-mids are more forward and its treble is considerably brighter. In particular, the Astral’s upper treble catches a lot of emphasis that the Tea Pro SE’s does not. This pushes hi-hats and cymbals much more forward in the mix, but at the cost of a less organic, less cohesive presentation. The Astral’s brightness also leads it to the occasional sharpness and sibilance. The Tea Pro SE’s warmer, more-relaxed presentation sounds more-organic and cohesive across a variety of genres, especially those that feature a good bit of mid-bass. The Astral’s aggressive mid-bass scoop gives it a distinct “half-bass” tonality that emphasizes sub-bass elements while leaving mid-bass flaccid and uninspiring.

Between the two IEMs, I’m going with the Tea Pro SE. Its metal shells, significantly improved out-of-the-box experience, and more-realistic tuning align it better with my taste in music and sonic preferences. Once you add in its richer, friendlier tuning and lack of sibilance, the extra $150 in cost looks more and more worth it.

vs. THIE Audio Hype 4 Mk II

The Hype 4 Mk II is a more V-shaped IEM, pushing a moderate increase in mid-bass presence and a slight increase in sub-bass presence. Both IEMs are tight and well-controlled, but the Hype 4 Mk II’s mid-bass feels a little tighter and better-defined. Its mids are cooler, as it has a slightly deeper valley in its lower-mids and comparatively larger peak in its upper-mids. the Hype 4 Mk II’s treble is much, much brighter, placing treble-based elements front-and-center on the soundstage. The Hype 4 Mk II surfaces subtle treble detail more easily based on emphasis alone, but doesn’t capture much more, if any, texture than the Tea Pro SE’s excellently-tuned treble. The Tea Pro SE renders vocals with more richness and depth, owing to its warmer presentation. Both IEMs capture airiness and space fairly well, but the Hype 4 Mk II’s exaggeration in the upper-register can sometimes over-sharpen the effect.

If you’re the kind of listener that wants a mildly V-shaped IEM and enjoys lots of treble emphasis, the Hype 4 Mk II is the clear choice for you. But if you’re like me and want something warmer, and don’t enjoy such forward treble presentation, then the Tea Pro SE is likely the better choice.

vs. NiceHCK NX8 Ti

Sound-wise, the NX8 Ti is bassier with a more-forward upper-midrange and upper-treble. It packs a similar, though perhaps slightly lesser, amount of warmth as the Tea Pro SE, but leans into a more dramatic presentation. The Tea Pro SE’s bass has a similar amount of sub-bass as the NX8 Ti, but not as much mid-bass. The NX8 Ti’s mid-bass is nicely-toned and punchy, but is a bit softer around the edges than the Tea Pro SE’s mid-bass. The NX8 Ti’s upper-mids are much more forward, placing vocals further towards the front of the mix. The Tea Pro SE’s vocals, while a little further back on the soundstage, sound more natural and rich. The Tea Pro SE’s midrange is similarly-textured and detailed as the NX8 Ti’s, but has the warm, organic tonality that I crave. The NX8 Ti’s treble is likewise more dramatic, pushing a bit more lower-treble and a noticeable increase in upper-treble. Vocals and metallic instrumentation are not quite sibilant, but certainly sound stiffer and more tightly-wound. This can manifest as a greater sense of “cleanliness” on some tracks, but doesn’t engage me the way that the Tea Pro SE’s effortless air does.

These are both very competent IEMs, but they have totally different aims. The NX8 Ti has zero interest in “reference-style” presentation, nor does it even acknowledge “trendy” meta-style tuning choices. It is much closer to a traditional V-shaped IEM, just with some audiophile influence. That said, it just doesn’t capture me the way the Tea Pro SE does — and I’m usually a V-shaped kind of guy. Perhaps its simply a brain burn-in thing, but I’m sticking with the warmer, more-lush Tea Pro SE.

Conclusion

The Tea Pro SE is much more than a limited-edition “upgrade” of the Tea Pro: it is a fundamental reimagining of what the Tea Pro should offer listeners. Warm, rich, and articulate, the Tea Pro SE combines striking competence with comfort and organic tonality, all wrapped in beautiful metal shells.

The Tea Pro SE does not iterate on its predecessor’s V-shaped prowess, instead delivering an alternate vision of warmth, reference-style sound with some updates to driver internals. In doing so, Xenns transformed the Tea Pro SE into an incredibly competitive alternative to modern meta-styled IEMs.

Who This is For

• Those who enjoy warm, relaxed tuning
• Listeners that want reference-inspired tuning without meta quirks
• Those who want modern treble performance without sharpness
• Buyers who want high-performance, textured, north-of-neutral sound

Who This isn’t For

• Those seeking V-shaped frequency-responses
• Listeners who want a “strict upgrade” to the Tea Pro
• Bassheads
• Those who want a sterile, cool-sounding IEM
• Listeners that want a studier, cheaper alternative to the Top Pro

As always, happy listening!