QianYun Qian39

EDIT 2023-08-25: If you are not aware, I am selling my own Earbuds, called RikuBuds: https://rikubuds.com/

Disclaimer: I bought this on my own expense on the NiceHCK store at AliExpress. Leaving the link because it is hard to find, but this lucky bag has a 100% rate for the Qian39: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005003181873387.html

Price: 6 usd

Specifications:

Accessories:

1 pair of full foams


Cable: A standard black cable, no chin-slider, fully plastic and is on the thinner side. Durability might be a concern because of that.



Build: Plastic shell, very small (smaller than usual MX500 shells) and super lightweight.

Fit: God-tier, no problems and fits extremely well. Is small enough so it gets a deeper fit than regular MX500 shell.

Comfort: God-tier, small shell and lightweight, no issues for longer sessions.

Isolation: None

Setup: Schiit Asgard 3 (low-gain, volume around 8 o´clock), full foams, stock cable 3.5mm

Lows: Mid-bass focused but still clean. Sub-bass is still a bit more elevated than most buds. Very good texture and is on the tighter/faster side. The reason for the elevated and yet clean bass, is that the shell allows a deeper fit than with regular MX500 shells, so the driver doesn’t need to compensate by elevating the bass more and the quality is higher because of that as well (probably).

Mid-bass: Metallica – fight fire with fire (01:11-01:52), the bass is on the tighter/faster side and quantity is a bit elevated with good texture, not that clean due to the poor separation though. The (02:55-03:01) section with the chopper is hearable but not that clean.

Hiroyuki Sawano – Pretenders (01:18-01:47), Clean due to the speed/tightness but also elevated with good texture.

Sub-bass: Djuro – Drop that bass (01:15-01:30), doesn’t extend nor rumble much. Punch quantity could be a lot higher while texture, speed and tightness are pretty good.

Will Sparks – Sick like that (03:08-03:22), quantity is decent but could be higher while texture, speed and tightness are pretty good.

Mids: Excellent vocal tonality, both male and female, neutral placement, still clean despite the mid-bass focused bass and has excellent timbre as expected from a bud.

Female-vocals: Hiroyuki Sawano – OldToday (01:25-01:52), vocal tonality and timbre are excellent, quite forward and clean as well. Instrument tonality, timbre and clarity are very good.

Yuki Hayashi – MightU (01:58-02:55), instrument and vocal tonality and timbre are excellent, very clean as well.

Evanescence – Bring me to life (01:18-01:35), not shouty nor peaky treble, slightly fatiguing due to the tonality though.

Hiroyuki Sawano – Crescent (02:07-02:26), slightly shouty and peaky treble, fatiguing.

Male-vocals: Hiroyuki Sawano – Pretenders (00:57-01:17), vocal and instrument tonality are very good, clean as well.

Hiroyuki Sawano – Scapegoat (00:57-01:17), vocal and instrument tonality lacks warmth, and lacks some clarity, timbre is good though.

Treble: Linkin Park – Shadow of the Day (03:24-03:42), electric guitars aren’t sharp, very good tonality and timbre. Lacks some texture though.

Deuce – America (03:03-03:16), not peaky treble, but very chaotic due to the separation and imaging.

Hiroyuki Sawano – Lose (string version) (01:22-01:59), Cello tonality and timbre are good, texture, clarity and detail could be better. Violin tonality and timbre are very good but treble-extension and detail could be better.

Hiroyuki Sawano &Z (02:18-02:57), tonality and timbre are very good, but can be cleaner.

Soundstage: Quite wide and deep even for a bud.

Tonality: Bass-boosted neutral, excellent timbre as expected from a bud, note-weight is slightly on the thicker side.

Details: Good for the price, but definitely lacking when compared to higher priced buds.

Instrument Separation: Struggles with separation on busier tracks and imaging is nothing special (not a problem for the price though).

Songs that highlight the Earbud: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-u6C-LLdfsc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uj5DRn7Y4ok https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLUguXpUIb0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVTXPUF4Oz4

Good genres: Rock/metal, Acoustic/vocal, Hiroyuki Sawano

Bad genres: Not much, its very versatile for my library although it does struggle more on busier tracks.



Comparisons:

Earbud: Yincrow X6, full foams, stock cable 3.5mm

Bass: Djuro – Drop that bass (01:15-01:30), extends lower and rumbles more on the X6. Punch quantity is higher on it and more textured but a bit tighter and faster on the Qian39. More tonally correct on the X6 with similar timbre.

Hiroyuki Sawano – Pretenders (01:18-01:47), a bit more bass quantity on the X6 but more textured, tighter and faster on the Qian39. More tonally correct and with better timbre on the Qian39.

Metallica – fight fire with fire (01:11-01:52), similarly clean because of the cleaner (less quantity, tighter and faster) bass on the X6 better separation on the X6.

Mids: Hiroyuki Sawano – OldToday (01:25-01:52), vocal tonality, clarity and forwardness are better on the Qian39 very similar detail and timbre. Instrument tonality is slightly better on the Qian39, cleaner but very similar timbre and detail.

Evanescence – Bring me to life (01:18-01:35), slightly peakier on the Qian39 and more fatiguing due to the brighter tonality.

Hiroyuki Sawano – Scapegoat (00:57-01:17), slightly better vocal and instrument tonality and timbre on the X6 but more forward and cleaner vocals on the Qian39

Treble: Linkin Park – Shadow of the Day (03:24-03:42), extremely similar tonality and timbre as well as detail, slightly cleaner on the X6 overall.

Hiroyuki Sawano – Lose (string version) (01:22-01:59), Cello tonality and timbre are very similar but slightly better texture and cleaner on the X6. Violin tonality is slightly better on the X6 as well as better treble-extension, but very similar timbre and detail.

Hiroyuki Sawano &Z (02:18-02:57), a bit better tonality and cleaner on the Qian39, similar detail and timbre.

Technicalities: Shiro Sagisu – Hundred years war (02:24-02:57), slightly wider and deeper on the Qian39 but a bit airier on the X6. Imaging, separation and micro-detail are a bit better on the X6 but similar macro-details and timbre.

Overall: Both are excellent, if you want something more fun, bassier (more V) then the X6 is your pick. If you prefer something more balanced and more mids but still pretty fun, then get the Qian39. The Qian39 is taking over my default rec for budget buds though, due to the price, comfort, fit, even though they are comparable in sound.



Earbud: K´s LBBS, full foams, stock cable 3.5mm

Bass: Djuro – Drop that bass (01:15-01:30), extends lower and rumbles more on the Qian39. Punch quantity and texture are also better on the Qian39 but cleaner and more detailed, faster and tighter on the LBBS. More tonally correct on the Qian39 but better timbre on the LBBS.

Hiroyuki Sawano – Pretenders (01:18-01:47), a lot more mid-bass on the Qian39 and a bit more textured on it, but a lot cleaner on the LBBS due to the faster/tighter bass. More tonally correct on the Qian39 but a bit better timbre on the LBBS.

Metallica – fight fire with fire (01:11-01:52), a lot cleaner and detailed on the LBBS due to the faster, tighter and lower bass quantity. But also, more fatiguing due to the brighter tonality.

Mids: Hiroyuki Sawano – OldToday (01:25-01:52), Vocal tonality, timbre, detail, clarity and forwardness are a lot better on the LBBS. Instrument tonality is better on the Qian39 but better timbre and a lot cleaner and more detailed on the LBBS.

Evanescence – Bring me to life (01:18-01:35), slightly shoutier and peakier treble on the LBBS, more fatiguing.

Hiroyuki Sawano – Scapegoat (00:57-01:17), vocal and instrument tonality are better on the Qian39 but a lot cleaner, detailed, more forward vocals and better timbre on the LBBS.

Treble: Linkin Park – Shadow of the Day (03:24-03:42), electric guitars are a lot sharper and more fatiguing on the LBBS.

Hiroyuki Sawano – Lose (string version) (01:22-01:59), Cello tonality and texture are better on the Qian39 but a lot better detail, clarity and timbre on the LBBS. Violin tonality, timbre, texture, detail, clarity and treble-extension are a lot better on the LBBS.

Hiroyuki Sawano &Z (02:18-02:57), better tonality on the Qian39 but better timbre, cleaner and more detailed on the LBBS.

Technicalities: Shiro Sagisu – Hundred years war (02:24-02:57), wider and airer stage on the LBBS but deeper on the Qian39. Imaging, separation and detail are leagues ahead on the LBBS. Timbre is better on the LBBS.

Overall: The LBBS is pretty much better in every way, but the Qian39 is closer to my tonal preferences and is better if you want a more relaxing, fatigue-free, bassier bud.



Conclusion: The Qian39 not only does it have an amazing sound for this price but it’s also THE most comfortable/fitting bud I have tried so far. Get it while the stock is left.

Cable source: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet...zTm4ei7HEfP8AI1zxswrMw2ho/edit#gid=1801072063

Reference/test songs:

Sound Signature: Warm, Intimate Mids

Disclaimer: I bought Qian39 from Fengru.ph at Shopee for full price with my own money. This will be as honest a review as it can get. All you can read here will be my own opinion, subject to different factors such as gear used, music, and what my own ears perceive. I also only write reviews after thoroughly listening to it for a week or more rather than just a day; both casually and critically with reference tracks I'm personally familiar with listed below. Please be respectful towards the comments section. With all that on the side, let's talk Qianyun Qian39.



Price: 9 USD/Php 450

Specifications:

Impedance: 22Ω
Earphone sensitivity: 106dB/mW
Frequency range: 20-20000Hz
Interface: 3.5mm
Cable Length: 1.2m
Cable: Rubber cord
Plugs: Straight/L Plug SE termination

Gear used:
(Hiby Music) Mi 9T Pro (naked)/Mi 9T Pro > Tempotec Sonata HD Pro w/ 2 Vrms active. (Foobar2000) Desktop (naked)

Reference Music:
Dream Eyes - Mine, Kosuke Quintet (DSD 128)
Work 1 - Mine, Kosuke Quintet (DSD 128)
Giorgo by Moroder - Daft Punk (DSD256)
Making of a Cyborg - Kenji Kawai (FLAC 24bit)
Evolution Orange - Earth, Wind & Fire (FLAC 24bit)
Charlie Wasn't Afraid - Day Din (FLAC 16bit)
Uchiage Hanabi - DAOKO x Kenshi Yonezu (FLAC 24bit)
Upstairs - Psapp (FLAC 16bit)
Grand Escape - RADWIMPS ft. Toko Miura (FLAC 24bit)
Welcome to the World of the Plastic Beach - Gorillaz (FLAC 16bit)
Hotel California - The Eagles (WAV 32bit)
Black Rainbows - Hawaii: Part II (FLAC 16bit)

Build:
A flat-profiled 14.8mm earbuds. The shells are made of plastic and thus light on weight. They have two colorways: white silver and black silver. The paint is standard matte, they don't look premium at all to be honest. On the end of each stem are embossed L & R markings with a complimentary color profile from the stem.
The cables are tangle-free black rubber cable. They are quite thick and feels durable. They also don't carry memory with them. Plugs are standard Gold-plated L or straight jacks with single-ended terminations.



Comfort:
Any earbuds with an outer diameter less than 15.2mm are highly comfortable for me. The stem is flat, debossed; that it doesn't press on my conch when sleeping on my sides. They are lightweight and I sometimes forget they're on my ears after an hour of casual listening.

Isolation:
These are earbuds, don't expect too much.

Lows:
The Qian39's greatest strength and quite frankly one of the best sounding lows I've heard in the $10 and below range. They are tight, punchy and they do justice on tracks such as Day Din's Charlie Wasn't Afraid, succesfully reaching the note weight with satisfactory depth. Listening to Making of a Cyborg by Kenji Kawai; there is body to each percussive strike, with well-timed decay. It may lack rumble, but the Qian39 has a well textured mid-bass that does not disappoint.

Midrange:
Smooth and musical. The overall tonality is fitting of a "lullaby" as it sings you to sleep with clean fluid vocals. Unlike other midcentric earbuds, the Qian39 provides intimate mids but not "in your face"; as evidence; listening to Evolution Orange by Earth, Wind & Fire as well as Grand Escape by RADWIMPS x Toko Miura, they both express forward but controlled positioning. Even with high gain, they don't shout at you nor appear offensive. If you prefer musical over transparency and articulation, you would be more than pleased as to what Qian39 can do.

Treble:
The weakest part of the Qianyun Qian39. They do perform well, but not enough for treble appreciation. Despite having a good decay on hi-hats and cymbals, the initial attack is mediocre and could use more power. Listening to Dream Eyes by Mine, Kosuke Quintet; they perform well but it feels as if you're wanting more. They are not terrible, and not a deal-breaker. The transition from the upper midrange to lower treble transition is done tastefully but if you are looking for sparkly, highly detailed earbuds; this may not fit your tastes.



Soundstage:
Quick Note: Soundstage is a highly subjective spectrum of audio. Different factors such as how the track was recorded or if it was properly mastered, plays a crucial role in identifying soundstage. Please take everything with a grain of ajinomoto seasoning.

The soundstage is above average, especially on horizontal imaging. The left & right panning is better than most within the price range. Depth is decent, they are not as wide as Tingo TC200 Old, but they still convey the masterful recording done with Pink Floyd's The Dark Side of the Moon Album. They lack height to be considered holographic.

Layering and Separation:
Despite the Qian39 favoring the lows and midrange, it does not shy away with instrument separation. You can identify which is which on well-mastered tracks. The layering is decent, and the frequencies don't overlap or smear each other. Like any other entry-level earbuds, complex tracks are an exception.

Comparison:

Tingo TC200 Old: Winner (Draw) To anyone who has Tingo TC200 Old and liked it, they will understand when I say that they are one of the absolute budget kings. However, the Qian39 isn't going to backdown the slightest. They both offer the same bang-for-buck sound quality but differs on presentation: The TC200 Old provides better detail, with its treble delivering above average attack on percussive instruments, sparkly and micro-detail capable. Mids are articulate and transparent, they create a rich analytical tone that far enhances vocal transients. On the other hand, Qian39 has the smooth musical tonality. Our challenger offers warm well-timed and textured lows whilst serenading you with clean vocals. Tingo TC200 is bright, treble-sensitive people might have a hard time listening to them for long periods whilst Qian39 offers non-offensive tuning, perfect for casual listening but suffers definition on treble. My advice? Get them both, there are no clear winners, but they are both worth their price.

Vido Red: Winner (Qian39) The Vidos are one of the most abundant and bang-for-buck earbuds you can get. For a price of two 7-11 coffees (in the Philippines anyway), they offer a satisfying sound signature with club-like bass that will sure put any bootleg earbuds to shame. Unfortunately, real audio hobbyists who had a listen to way more earbuds can distinguish the "meh" from the good ones. Vido Reds can be congested and muddy on complex tracks, the bass is well-textured but smears some frequencies which sounds may sound discouraging. The Qianyun's Qian39 however won't disappoint you with its lows. They are well-textured, punchy, and tight but unlike Vido, they never mask the midrange. The mids with Qian39 is just clean, there is no world that Vido Red wins in this category. If you do love club tracks, Vido Red is a definite choice but aside from that, Qian39 prevails in everything.



Conclusions:
Qianyun's Qian39 has been a well-recognized entry-level earbud even before the time I write this long-ass review. I am sure that a lot of audio hobbyists other than me, would recommend this without hesitation. Do I think they are worth the price? Definitely. Are they better than what their price suggests? Absolutely. If you are looking for a sleep buds, you don't need to look any further than the cheap $9 Qian39. They do the job well; serenading you with captivating music enough to lull you to sleep.

TL;DR Buy it for the comfort and be satisfied enough by the sound.

Bought this after having owned the Qian69 for a few years.

Qian69 has high tier earbud sound on a budget, but the comfort proved to be difficult at times, with the shell diameter being a bit too wide for my concha.

Therefore, I bought the Qian39 to see if the smaller shell diameter would be comfortable, without straying too far from the Qian house sound.

I use all buds without foam, so for those of us who use foams, take the sound assessment in this review with a grain of salt.

The shell and cable are lightweight and just the right amount of looseness, respectively.

The right angled jack is sturdy and has proper strain relief.

There are no weird factory smells present, well done.

Comfort is high tier. It is small enough to sit in my concha without sliding out or losing bass.
Shell diameter is 16mm, shell face is convex. Shell thickness is flat, good for side sleepers.

Wearing cable down is fine, but I prefer looped around the ear cable up.
Cable down applies pressure on the tragus and anti tragus.
Cable up feels like it is floating, great comfort.

Sound wise, think of it as a budget Qian69.
Take the sound of the Qian69, make it less refined and smaller in stage, then you have the Qian39.
Bass on the Qian39 still satisfies regardless of refinement.

Wearing the buds cable down will provide a warmer sound compared to cable up, but it does not impact bass response as much as it affects the mid's warmth. I prefer cable up as it gives a cleaner sound.

EQ can improve the buds if cutting at 1k, 1.8k, 3k, 4.2k, 7.9k, and 9.3k.

The highs begin to roll off at around 10.3k, so it retains good air without keeping any of the sharpness.

I still desire the sound of the Qian69s, but the comfort of the Qian39 is just too good.
Makes me wonder what the high impedance monk lite would sound like...

Overall, this product satisfies my needs of high tier comfort without a grainy and sharp sound signature, unlike the Moondrop VX Classics.