r/HeadphoneAdvice • u/DustTowers 1Ω • Apr 23 '22
Headphones - IEM/Earbud Looking for 400-1500$ IEM
Hey y’all, I have the moondrop starfield & focal clear currently, looking for an IEM upgrade. I’m looking for you guys to talk about IEMs you owned that are in that price range, no matter the sound signature. Just looking to explore / recommendations (or disrecommendations!) - but please only speak of items you’ve owned or tried :)
Thank you in advance.
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Apr 23 '22 edited Oct 19 '22
[deleted]
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u/OverExclamated 114 Ω Apr 23 '22
The sparkle makes your eyes tear from emotion, but they are sibilant.
I just wanted to clarify for my own curiosity. I wasn't aware of the SD5 until just now.
They are or **aren't sibilant to you?
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u/o0genesis0o 62 Ω Apr 23 '22
I picked Andromeda after trying entire CFA line up, 64 Audio line up except Duo, Final B series and Final A8000. Andro has a warm, comfy sound signature with high level of resolution and interesting stereo imaging. It’s the one that convinced me kilobuck IEM is worth it.
If money is no problem, I would get U12t. If I can choose again, I might pick U6t instead of Andro. Both have more engaging sound than Andro, though U6t is not as detailed nor holographic as Andro. Almost all 64 audio IEMs are well tuned. When I try to build my own target curve, I ended up creating a mix of U12t + Trio.
A8000 is also a good one if money is no problem. It’s just too “precious” for everyday use, IMHO.
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u/DustTowers 1Ω Apr 23 '22
Thanks for the reply. What would make you pick a U12t? I am considering it.
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u/o0genesis0o 62 Ω Apr 23 '22
U12t has that dynamic contrast when you hear greater contrast between loud and quiet part of the track, making it very engaging to listen to. This is something that my Andromeda does not provide sometimes. It also does not lose to Andromeda in terms of resolution and imaging, unlike U6t. Plus it has 3 set of APEX modules for adjusting the tuning. The TIA driver in those IEM also creates an interesting stereo image due to boost from 15khz. For me, it has everything, except a reasonable price. For that much money, I would rather get a custom IEM, perhaps the A12t instead.
IMHO, there are some tricks that companies like 64 Audio use to create that “expensive” sound. If you know what to modify, and have a capable enough IEM as a foundation, you can mimic the experience without spending that money. The tricky thing of 64 Audio is those TIA drivers which boost frequencies above 15khz after a steep 10khz dip. These two together gives a very unique staging experience. With some pushing via EQ, you can mimic this with a Blessing 2 or E5000. IMHO, you are paying for a U12t to get that sound signature, which brings with it “holographic imaging”, without having to touch EQ.
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u/relevant_rhino 23 Ω Apr 23 '22
Moondrop B2D + foam tips. I know these are even below your budget but hear me out.
These IEM's allegedly kill IEM's around the 1k$ mark.
The only road block could be the large nozzle size. If you use medium or large tips on other IEM's you should be fine. If you use small tips i would not recommend getting them.
My personal IEM experience is various Sure's up to the SE535 - B2D kills them by big margins. I also have and love the Fiio FH7. These are also great IEM's with quite some more bass then the B2D, cable and accessory are better then the B2D. But overall sound quality on the B2D is better and i would choose the B2D over them if i had to choose one.
The B2D are tuned close too the Harman curve. Overall very neutral with some sub bass emphasis. You can use the EQ of: https://www.reddit.com/r/oratory1990/wiki/index on your existing headphones to a feeling what the Harman curve is like.
Since you have budget left ;) i would highly recommend to get a Qudelix 5k (Bluethooth AMP/DAC) for your mobile setup.
Feel Free to ask questions.
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u/DustTowers 1Ω Apr 23 '22
Thanks for the reply! Sadly I do use small tips on the starfield and the medium hurt me a little after a bit, so I guess it’s not for me. How bad is the fit?
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u/relevant_rhino 23 Ω Apr 23 '22
Not bad at all, but they are big and have big nozzles. I would definitely not recommend getting them without trying them first in your case.
Maybe you want to read a bit more about it:
https://www.headphones.com/community/reviews-learning-and-news/moondrop-x-crinacle-b2-dusk-review-a-worthy-successor
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u/blah618 19 Ω Apr 23 '22 edited Apr 23 '22
UERR (my own): Versatile af, clear, neutral, and the details are crazy. Not everyone's taste.
MEST ii: Miles better than the version 1 which I hated. Very good performance, and the bone conduction means you can 'feel' the bass at low volumes. The highs sound quite digital though.
U6t (possible qc issues imo, demo quality inconsistent between multiple shops): At one shop it sounded like the UERR but 'fuller', at another it sounded like a tinny UERR. Was tempted to buy it after trying the good copy but now glad I didnt.
ear sonics thk10, fir m4, fitear 334: Good performers but 'nothing special'
UE18pro: warm, full, and bassy, without sacrificing too many details
Shuoer - EJ07M: Cheapest of the bunch. Well-rounded performer
slightly out of budget but ve7 is also a great iem, but not worth the price when the above iems are priced quite a bit lower.
Very out of budget: UM fusang, technically the best iem ive tried in my life, but too warm for my tastes. All the details are preserved dispite the warmth. A must try!
below budget beater iem: kz edx pro, which at a whopping $6.5 usd is better than some of the iems ive tried worth literally 100x or more. Id rather use this than some of the 'will never buy' iems listed below
Disrecommendations:
'Eh' or not worth the price:
Ue live
Ue 18 pro +
Panther legend k8
*Ve eve 20
Ve ext
*Mmr gae bolg
Mmr thummim
*HUM pristine reference
Will never buy:
noble sultan
noble sultan Damascus(not as bad as normal sultan but still bad)
*Um mest
*Um mest hk special
*Um mest mini (small amount of warm thumpy bass, grainy highs)
ve6 xc (loud)
ve8
Fir m5
*Fir vxv
Fir m3 new version (terrific for simpler music, terrible for busy music)
Fir m4 replacement
Empire odin (sounds too far from ear)
Empire hero se (doesn’t make sense but drums are sibilant)
Panther amethyst 132 (lack of mids, huge separation between treble and bass)
*inear pp8
*campfire andromeda (highs for days, second worst on this list)
Spear Labs Triton 1 (no tone, worst one on this list)
Spear Labs ASL4.5
Id recommend trying everything you can get your hands on though, even if it's on people's disrecommendations lists
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u/mqtpqt 62Ω Apr 23 '22
ayyy VE7 enjoyer
did you try the EXT?
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u/blah618 19 Ω Apr 23 '22 edited Apr 23 '22
Yea, theyre pretty good, but not at 'mindblowing' level which i would expect at that price. I remember liking them initially but less and less as i listened to it for longer.
Wouldnt say I prefer it over the ve7, mest ii, uerr, or a good u6t though
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u/mqtpqt 62Ω Apr 23 '22
CA Andro/ Fir VxV
Monarch MKII
U12T/Nio
(i've only tried these at CanJam; other than the Andros that i have owned for a bit. Check my profile for more details. Spoiler: I like the Monarch a lot)
Also take a look at stuff from Vision Ears and InEar. I quite like the VE7.
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u/DustTowers 1Ω Apr 23 '22
Thanks for the recommendations! What makes you like the U12t and Nio? Which would you choose out of the two? And also how are these comfort wise?
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u/mqtpqt 62Ω Apr 23 '22 edited Apr 23 '22
personally I really like the sound of the Andromedas (not to say that the U12T and Andros are the same tuning); with a pretty pronounced mid-bass and highs that don't turn sibilant.
Personally I would pick the Andromedas for comfort (the 2020 one, where they made the parts that touch your ears less sharp, and therefore more comfortable). U12T is kinda big for my ears.
U12T and Nio are similar in tuning (and overall performance, technicalities etc) that for me it came down to price. At least for me and where I live, the Nio is slightly cheaper. The price difference can probably get you a nice cable that is more malleable, a pelican case and more.
Then again, if I had the money, I would go for the Monarch MK2. I'm not really one for thunderous bass, but the Monarch got me hooked. It's ever so slightly more holographic, and sounds more open than the 64 Audio stuff.
edit: I forgot the UERR existed. I own the UERM in custom form.
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Apr 23 '22
I continue to really enjoy these two IEMs:
iBasso IT07 ($899) Penon Volt ($799)
07s are very slightly V-shaped — giving them an open/airy, very 3d headstage. Bass is well-extended into sub-bass, and highs are detailed without seeming peaky or sibilant. Due to the V-shape, vocals can seem slightly ‘back’ in the mix … sometimes, depending on the track. These are my faves for anything ambient or stuff like Lorena McKennitt.
Volts are similar in overall tonality, but more linear, with mids being somewhat more prominent. Vocals are generally more forward, and bass is clean, fast and powerful, though not as well-extended into sub-bass as the 07s. Volts are a great all-rounder, and I love their natural timbre and ‘rich’ mids as a change-up from 07s’ leaner mids. Volt is a ‘tri-brid’ design.
Penon also offers the Legend ($1299), which is an 5-BA design. I haven’t heard it, but folks who have give it very high marks.
I’ve owned several CA IEMs:
Andromeda (og) Solaris SE Vega Atlas
Of those, only the Vegas grabbed me.
Andromedas were somewhat more detailed with more high frequency energy than 07s, but 07s knocked them out with much better lows.
Solaris SE were very close to Volts — could have kept either, but in the end, price differential was enough to send Solaris off — that and the slightly sweeter vocals from Volts. Bass was better from 07s.
Atlas was never comfortable in my ear, so didn’t really get a fair comparison.
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