Earbuds Round-Up
Jul 26, 2023 at 11:19 AM Post #70,966 of 77,557
I have not heard any of those (though have heard that the Lotus weren't great), but as a universal recommendation for budget earbuds, the Yincrow X6 have been (pretty much) the king of budget buds for a long while now.

There is also the NiceHCK EB2S, which are, to some, really excellent and others not as good. For my part, I really liked them a lot. The two of these buds have a pretty opposite tuning IMO. The X6 are more on the fun side, and the EB2S are more on the analytical side of things.

There isn't a best option out there. Grab one makes you enjoy the moment. Yincrow X6 is fun and warm option if you don't ask for micro details. (BTW I really liked Red shell w. Yellow Cable colorway. Looks great in person). SQ is Vido-esque so YMMV. I'd put them in similar category as a bass EQ'ed Earpods. I'd also put NiceHCK B70 in the same ball park as X6. Can't AB them now, but it's slightly cleaned up and bouncer bass based off memory.

Qian 39 is a decent option, again limitation on technicality but can't fault it with the price. Once people's budget champion K's LBB isn't talk of the town anymore. Um... I'm not a fan, but I also didn't give them a fair chance. They were very dull to me for the first day, then I moved them on the next day. They're very comfortable though, same as Earpods and Qian in terms of comfort level to my ears. NiceHCK EB2S is available at AliExpress SuperDeals nowadays for around $10, so great value!
 
Jul 26, 2023 at 11:49 AM Post #70,967 of 77,557
Already bought FF5 & RW3000 the last Ali sale
And that's your fault :ksc75smile:
LOL... Well, I hope they have served you well?! :)

Apologies if you mentioned it and I forgot to say: Congrats on your new shiny(s)! :)
Thanks so much for taking the time to write such a detailed and complete set of impressions! Your input is always highly valued (along with all of the other regular posters).

Also, thanks for the input on the RW 3000 and the RW 2000. I have an RW 3000 incoming and I am really looking forward to spending time with it. But now it looks like I will have to go for the RW 2000 as well!
You are welcome! And thank you for saying so. That means a lot to me.

OH! Congrats on your new (incoming) shiny! :)

Do let us know what you think of them once they arrive?! I haven't heard many negative reviews on these (or the RW2000), so I love hearing all (new) thoughts concerning these.
Hi, just want to share my DIY earbud, so far i really love this shell, it can make sub bass rumble more extend and the fitting very2 great (over ear only).
i name it "chimera shell" :grin:

WOW! Those look fantastic! Are those 3d printed, or did you mold them by hand? They look a bit like the Yincrow buds. If you don't mind sharing, what drivers are you using in these?
I recently picked up the RW-2000 during the last AE sales, they are a great set of buds for sure. As we all have individual sound signature preferences, I keep choosing the 3000's over the 2000's. Maybe I just haven't given the 2000's a fair chance yet? I guess I'll have to give them more listening time. I think this was mentioned in the thread before, but Yincrow is one brand that knows how to tune their buds.
I didn't know this. Congrats on your new shiny! :)

You are right about having preferred signatures, and I have to say that normally the type that is the RW3000 is closer to my overall preferred signature, but for some reason I really love switching it up (often) into a completely other signature. I absolutely value my collection for this reason. I suppose I could be called a chameleon of signatures because of this??? :wink: Really, the only two sets that I find to sound closely tuned (though they still differ) is the RW3000 and the FF5 (and maybe even the Alpha 1 and Maria II). Otherwise, they are all different enough for me to justify keeping them, taking up realestate.

Other than you picking up the RW3000 more often, what do you think of the RW2000? Your impressions would be valued. :)
Anyone can compare the eb2s pro to the eb2s? Are they the same with different materials and color?
I would be interested in this as well. I have the OG EB2S before they were actually released (it was a grab-bag from NiceHCK as a bit of a gimmick to market their release I think, they were just a bit cheaper to buy them this way). There were quite a few of us that bought this "bag" when they announced. Now, whether they made these better than the release model, I will never know (more than likely), but most of the stellar reviews are based on this "version", I think. And, I have read some say they sucked, and others say they were pretty great, so it may just be that they had some poor "batches" in the production process?!

Over time, I have felt badly about recommending them because there have been a few that bought them thinking that they were getting something really good for pretty cheap, but end up finding they really didn't sound good at all. I no longer recommend them because of this, not because I don't think they sound good, because in all honestly, I think they are worth way more than their price tag would suggest (if you get a set that is good).
Great impressions, mate! Almost identical experience from my side.

Drag and drop 300ohm LCP in MX500 shells with FiiO donut foams beat these on every aspect that I index for.
Thanks very much. :) Have your views on these changed after having more listening time, or did you stop using them? I only had about a day on these before writing those (first) impressions, and I wondered if they upper mids and treble "calm down" a bit after some conditioning?!

Yeah, but that is almost not a fair fight because that 300Ohm LCP is intrinsically a better driver. I think that DUNU might have used a poor or cheap driver in this hoping to tune the weaknesses out of them (as shown by the lack of great quality technicalities).
 
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Jul 26, 2023 at 8:20 PM Post #70,968 of 77,557
You may remember that I was looking for a new earbud that was a bit warmer than the rw3000 just to switch it up sometimes. And also I was looking for an IEM so that I can listen at reasonable volumes on the train/plane.

I decided to combine them, so I got an IEM with a tuning that tames the brightness a bit, making it more comfortable for listening even if my ears are feeling plugged. It will hopefully scratch the itch to switch up the tuning occasionally. The taming of the treble I think makes it just a bit less of an all rounder than the RW3000, so there are some tracks that don't sound as good, but well, other tracks sound better so it's okay.
 
Jul 26, 2023 at 8:57 PM Post #70,969 of 77,557
Hi! What are the best budget earbuds? I had the Faaeal Iris 2.0 and loved them, but stopped working fast, ordered the Snow Lotus 1.0 thinking it would be a upgrade, but they don't sound good as the iris. My favourite earbud was the **** BK2, but they aren't produced anymore.
That's interesting. I've had a whole bunch of various Faaeal earbuds and they've been among the most reliable and durable of the earbud brands I've tried. And I've abused them. The Rosemary is the currently available budget earbud I most like at this point, more than the X6, although I haven't heard the Vido. The now unavailable ******BK2 is also the best budget earbud I've heard, especially with a different cable (I'm using a ****** 8 core Cu cable instead of the stock 16 core: better tonal balance).

Edit: I forgot, I've been listening to the Tiandirenhe at times recently and it seems to be a match for my other best budget buds.
 
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Jul 26, 2023 at 10:43 PM Post #70,970 of 77,557
Edit: I forgot, I've been listening to the Tiandirenhe at times recently and it seems to be a match for my other best budget buds.
Which driver do you think you have?

2022 - Tiandirenhe Handmade Red Sandalwood; ~16-36Ω (DK-宋 Song clone; mmcx)
 
Jul 26, 2023 at 10:45 PM Post #70,971 of 77,557
Yeah, but that is almost not a fair fight because that 300Ohm LCP is intrinsically a better driver. I think that DUNU might have used a poor or cheap driver in this hoping to tune the weaknesses out of them (as shown by the lack of great quality technicalities).
Totally concur!
 
Jul 27, 2023 at 12:20 AM Post #70,973 of 77,557
Which driver do you think you have?

2022 - Tiandirenhe Handmade Red Sandalwood; ~16-36Ω (DK-宋 Song clone; mmcx)
"2020 - Daik (Ming Jiang Ming Shou) DK-Song" or "2022 - Tiandirenhe Handmade Red Sandalwood; ~16-36Ω (DK-Song Song clone; mmcx)", which is closer to the original DK-Song listening? Do you think they are made closer to the sound of the original DK-Song?

Or does the following "frostfall" sound better?
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005004346483006.html
 
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Jul 27, 2023 at 1:50 AM Post #70,974 of 77,557
TGX Ear Desolation Sound Pre-Ordered!!!! Can't Wait!!!
 
Jul 27, 2023 at 4:07 AM Post #70,975 of 77,557
"2020 - Daik (Ming Jiang Ming Shou) DK-Song" or "2022 - Tiandirenhe Handmade Red Sandalwood; ~16-36Ω (DK-Song Song clone; mmcx)", which is closer to the original DK-Song listening? Do you think they are made closer to the sound of the original DK-Song?

Or does the following "frostfall" sound better?
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005004346483006.html
Personally, I don't find Tiandirenhe's quality the same as Ming Jiang 鳴匠 aka Daik.

The only other Chinese-made wooden shell earbud brand I would recommend other than Longyao-Yinman 龙谣音曼 would be Ming Jiang 鳴匠 (formerly known as Daik aka DK before it changed in 2017): their MJ series: 32Ω Frostfall (latest model), 35Ω Xiaoman, and various 600Ω wood models, as well as their older DK series: 16Ω DK-宋 Song (which was upgraded in 2020).

The Frostfall is good probably 10-20% better than the DK-Song in my opinion but they are completely different drivers so... the Frostfall has a minor wooly-sound to it, not sibilant but slightly peaky sounding as well, and too mid-forward for my tastes.

More info here
 
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Jul 27, 2023 at 10:49 PM Post #70,977 of 77,557
TGX Ear Desolation Sound Pre-Ordered!!!! Can't Wait!!!

I loved what I heard from TGX Desolation Sound and Serratus Black Sand prototypes!

received_1442020916368810.jpeg

Serratus Black sand

Excited to share DS / SBS comparisons when my production model arrives.
 
Jul 28, 2023 at 3:29 AM Post #70,978 of 77,557
Mirror post from the WC. I found an acrylic earbud display case from Muji to organize my earbuds.


TGX Ripples, Totem, Sunniva
Desolation Sound, Serratus


Right case: Sun Copper (On Loan), Asura 3.0 FE (on loan), Yinman 600 (on loan), Fiio FF3, Berseker 2, Val Lazybuds (on loan)

About the display stand: It is transparent and opens like a drawer from both sides. It seems to have enough space for earbuds and its respective thinner cables. Link to it
 
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Jul 28, 2023 at 3:52 AM Post #70,979 of 77,557
Mirror post from the WC. I found an acrylic earbud display case from Muji to organize my earbuds.


TGX Ripples, Totem, Sunniva
Desolation Sound, Serratus


Right case: Sun Copper (On Loan), Monk 3.0 (on loan), Yinman 600 (on loan), Fiio FF3, Berseker 2, Val Lazybuds (on loan)

About the display stand: It is transparent and opens like a drawer from both sides. It seems to have enough space for earbuds and its respective thinner cables. Link to it


I was actually in town the other day in Muji looking at these for the same purpose! Audiophile synchronicity?!

They do a good selection of acrylic storage options. I'll be visiting again this weekend to purchase some. The only issue is my wife will very clearly, and with incredible transparency, see the collection grow...
 
Jul 28, 2023 at 4:42 AM Post #70,980 of 77,557
I was actually in town the other day in Muji looking at these for the same purpose! Audiophile synchronicity?!

They do a good selection of acrylic storage options. I'll be visiting again this weekend to purchase some. The only issue is my wife will very clearly, and with incredible transparency, see the collection grow...

I would not do it, the risk is far superior to the visual pleasure....
 

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