[jeejack]

Thanks for this
They responded to my emails finally. I think part of the problem was that I had mistakenly put M2 Pro instead of S2 Pro in the subject line, so maybe when they got it, they just thought, "Whaaaa?" and put it away. Still, purchase confirmation and some kind of response to questions should be a given.

You need to wait

 

[fooltoque]

You need to wait

Thanks for getting that verified! They have May-June as the last update on the crowdfunding site, I guess that is a definite June now.

I don't mind waiting for it. That's expected after all, and I want to support this Bluetooth flathead initiative. It was just, without a confirmation mail or anything, I started to wonder if they had even gotten my order in the first place, or if I had gotten scammed by a 3rd party somehow.

 

[cottaudio]

@cottaudio, welcome to the Earbuds Round-up thread. Those are some great tips and suggestions from our fellow bud fiends. For your reference here's some measurements of the diameters (sans foams) of some commonly recommended earbuds. If you have some coins that are roughly the same size as the Yincrow X6's naked (sans foams) speaker cover diameter you can do a quick check for fit into the Concha of your ear. (Don't walk around with those coins in your ears... people might think you're really weird, or it's a new fashion statement. LOL) Earbuds are mainly held in place by placing the speaker into the Concha and held in place by wedging behind the Tragus and Antitragus. Typically the stem of a MX500 shell will mostly align with the Intertragal notch.

People that have smaller than average ears often have trouble with earbuds because the Concha / Tragus / Antitragus area is too small for a comfortable fit. You might even find that you have a good fit in one ear but not the other (too loose / too tight) due to natural asymmetry of your ears. If a MX500 type shell with foams fits comfortably, you can wear most earbuds without a problem.

Yincrow X6 (MX500 shell) - 16.80mm	Yincrow RW-3000 - 16.88mm	Yincrow RW-2000 - 16.88mm	FiiO FF3 - 16.50mm
FiiO FF5 - 16.50mm	Moondrop Chaconne - 16.48mm	Yincrow Rhino - 16.32mm	Shozy BK (PK shell) - 16.10mm

Earbuds are typically worn with foams on the earbuds, for comfort, better (snugger) fit. Foams also act as filters to reducing some upper mids and treble. Foams are available in several foam densities which affect both fit and overall tuning of the earbuds you're wearing. I made some density measurements of various foams and the foams with fewer density variations are recommended. Cheaper no-name foams might be ok, but the QC of densities is bad and the foams have a higher percentage of holes which are off center, so they don't fit your earbuds very well.

1st foam density measurements.
2nd foam density measurements.

Reading the discussion around those measurement posts is helpful.

I did a mini test and it seems I’ll be good for most anything, though I guess we’ll see once I get some in my ears! Thanks again.

If you are in the Seoul area you might want to check out this shop which is a Ucotech reseller in the Dongdaemun-Hyehwa area: earphoneshop 15-11, Daehak-ro 10-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea. The store is very similar to the e-Earphone shops in Japan with most products available to try and listen. A couple years ago I visited this store and was able to listen Ucotech ES-P1 which is a neutral-bright signature and probably well suited to classical. the website seems to show they sell the follow-on ES-P2 model which I was curious to try next time I visit Seoul. Anyway you would be able to get a feel for the fit and sound signature before buying.

Yeah I’ve been aware of them for a while but never managed to get there, I’m in Daegu. Hopefully soon I can go and have a solid afternoons peruse!

In other exciting news, given the AliX mini sale going on tomorrow I think I’m going to pull the trigger on some combination of the OG EB2S, Dunu Alpha 3, RW-2000, and Aeolian Bells.
I’m thinking of grabbing two of them for now to stick my foot down the rabbit hole, but figuring out which two is a little tricky! Any advice? Or any last minute cheaper sets for classical anyone would recommend?

 

[jogawag]

I did a mini test and it seems I’ll be good for most anything, though I guess we’ll see once I get some in my ears! Thanks again.

Yeah I’ve been aware of them for a while but never managed to get there, I’m in Daegu. Hopefully soon I can go and have a solid afternoons peruse!

In other exciting news, given the AliX mini sale going on tomorrow I think I’m going to pull the trigger on some combination of the OG EB2S, Dunu Alpha 3, RW-2000, and Aeolian Bells.
I’m thinking of grabbing two of them for now to stick my foot down the rabbit hole, but figuring out which two is a little tricky! Any advice? Or any last minute cheaper sets for classical anyone would recommend?

I recommend you the NiceHCK B70 which is cheap on sale as earbuds with PK shell.
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005004251186343.html

 

[cottaudio]

I recommend you the NiceHCK B70 which is cheap on sale as earbuds with PK shell.
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005004251186343.html

I see yeah looks to be coming out to a nice price tomorrow, I’ll certainly bear that in mind since the shell is tad different to the others. Great call!

 

[Penon]

TGXEAR Red Serratus 300ohm PET Polymer Diaphragm Dynamic Driver Audiophile Earbud is available now

https://penonaudio.com/TGXEAR-Red-Serratus

 

[Surf Monkey]

Popping in to note that I’m playing the FiiO FF3 today for the first time in a while and they continue to blow me away. Superb buds.

 

[cottaudio]

Ok so I’ve jumped in and ordered 3 sets to give a go: Dunu Alpha 3, NiceHCK B70, and Lun Sheng Aeolian Bells.

Thanks for everyone that’s given their 2 cents and helped, I’ll be dropping impressions and thoughts as and when I receive stuff.

 

[samandhi]

I wanted to share something with all of you. Yesterday, I received in the mail two new members of my earbud family. These were made by our very own @mt877. I am pretty sure that he has given build instructions on at least one of these (if not both). If he has given instructions for both, my advise to you is to go and get the materials, and build both sets right now.

Spoiler: MT Aika (meaning "Love Song") & MT Artiste "Nightingale"

I suppose I have given away whether I like them or not, but I will offer my initial impressions anyhow. Firstly, know that I am listening to both sets in their stock form (meaning with the cable included, and with the foams included as well). I used my new DAC/EQ/amp stack for all testing, but I plan on using them on my DX300 & DX160 & M0 as well to test synergy. I used my local music for playback (about 30K songs), which is to say that I am not using a specific playlist, but set "all tracks" to shuffle, and just listen. I am listening at about 90dB (guessing) for most music. Also, I am listening to the stock tuning; no EQ, or tone control, or Xbass, or 3d Holograpy (basically no DSP or ASP in the entire chain), and with bit-perfect music players.

I have listened to both a bit, but more the Aika as of now (trying to run them through their paces one by one). We could start with impressions of the build and aesthetic, by simply saying that both sets are absolutely beautiful, and comfortable as can be (for my eyes and ears). Nothing lacking on either set... period.

As for initial impressions for sound, the Aika are kind of a mixture of things all rolled into one earbud. When we talk about bass quantity, these are near perfect for my normal preferred signature. In other words, they aren't quite neutral, they are boosted a bit, which gives a nice fullness to the overall sound, but they also aren't in your face either. When I am looking for my "guilty pleasure" of a much boosted bass set, these aren't that. The bass overall is pretty linear sounding. Or, put simply the sub bass is higher than the mid bass, which is higher than the upper bass (as it should be to be technically correct). This DOES mean that they don't sound quite as punchy or tight as other sets might, but the texture is there, and they can reach pretty low without muddying up the mids. This also means that on songs the rely on all mid bass, these MIGHT come across as "bass light".... JUST until you hear some sub bass kick in and realize "nope, these are NOT bass light". Having said that, all the bass is there all the time, and is well separated (bass guitar from kick drum, from low synth, etc...). I wouldn't call the upper lows boosted too much, but these definitely come across as having some nice warmth.

These are NOT a mid forward bud. I also wouldn't call them totally recessed either. I might call these a mild W tuning. The mids are't quite as strong in the lower mids as they are in the upper mids but they are neither too thin, nor too thick sounding. These have a bit of a boost to the presence region, but in a tasteful way. They don't hurt my ears here.

The treble seems to have some dips in areas, but I don't really hear any spikes to make it sound "off" to my ears. The cymbals, for instance aren't laid back enough to sound recessed, but are not boosted so as to make them sound louder than the rest of the drums (this is an excellent thing). This is where I hear the dip, but it is a good thing IMO. Because the treble has no spikes or huge dips, the second harmonics passed on to other frequencies is just right. The upper treble seems a bit boosted to me and adds some nice air to things. This makes for a presentation that is smooth, yet precise and airy.

The technicalities on these things are a dream. Because of the small dip in the mids, there is a perceived depth that just sounds gorgeous. As for width, all I can say is: man, are these OUT OF MY HEAD sounding. Anything from Clapton, or Herbie Hancock, etc... just sound sublime on these. With most metal though the separation seems to allow for some congestion, but it is not horrible (I would simply consider it average). But imaging is really good here. The resolution is really good here as well. Live recordings sound awesome with this set. The things I mentioned give the overall presentation a sound where NOTHING is intimate sounding.

Another note is that these are indeed revealing, and if your recording sounds like crap, these won't "dress it up" for you. These also won't be my favorite for any really aggressive sounding music. These were appropriately named, and sound at their best with milder music (though they do NOT sound bad with anything in the opposite direction either).

When I listen to these, I am reminded of the FQL Caelum, and if anyone remembers them, the Hifiman HE800 Silver, but with different elements in the specific parts of the tuning.

As for the Artiste, only a few words for now. These are pretty Chaconne(esque) in their overall tuning (or even the OG HD800 without the spike) but are more aggressive in their overall sound. This is to say, that they are like a really good diffuse tuning without the overly boosted presence region. These are detail MONSTERS! If you are sensitive to really revealing treble, these aren't for you. I am not sensitive to treble unless it is sibilant though (which, surprisingly, these are not), so these are a REALLY good sound. Also, if you are after a full bassy sounding set, these won't be for you either. But, boy do they sound fantastic with the right music. These come fairly close to the Chaconne. I would say that these are a sublime critical or analytical set. Classical sounds VERY nice indeed!

Having said that, they aren't Chaconne clones by any means. They have their own personality, and are just enough different from the Chaconne that they compliment them rather than compare to them. More on these later.

Here at the end, I wanted to offer a disclaimer. @mt877 made a gift of these to me, so please don't PM him and ask to buy sets (he doesn't sell them). Like FranQL, he does it for the joy of building something, rather than for profit. He paid for all the material for both sets and including shipping to me. He would NOT let me pay him for anything. However, I would bet he might (re)share the build for you to try for yourself if you would like. I also wanted to thank him again (profusely). Both of these sets are fantastic sounding buds, and I will never part with them. Your kindness will not be forgotten, and will come back to you in spades, my brother.

 

[samandhi]

Ok so I’ve jumped in and ordered 3 sets to give a go: Dunu Alpha 3, NiceHCK B70, and Lun Sheng Aeolian Bells.

Thanks for everyone that’s given their 2 cents and helped, I’ll be dropping impressions and thoughts as and when I receive stuff.

Very nice! Congrats on your new (incoming) shiny(s)!

Can't wait to hear your impressions!

 

[jeejack]

I wanted to share something with all of you. Yesterday, I received in the mail two new members of my earbud family. These were made by our very own @mt877. I am pretty sure that he has given build instructions on at least one of these (if not both). If he has given instructions for both, my advise to you is to go and get the materials, and build both sets right now.

Spoiler: MT Aika (meaning "Love Song") & MT Artiste "Nightingale"

I suppose I have given away whether I like them or not, but I will offer my initial impressions anyhow. Firstly, know that I am listening to both sets in their stock form (meaning with the cable included, and with the foams included as well). I used my new DAC/EQ/amp stack for all testing, but I plan on using them on my DX300 & DX160 & M0 as well to test synergy. I used my local music for playback (about 30K songs), which is to say that I am not using a specific playlist, but set "all tracks" to shuffle, and just listen. I am listening at about 90dB (guessing) for most music. Also, I am listening to the stock tuning; no EQ, or tone control, or Xbass, or 3d Holograpy (basically no DSP or ASP in the entire chain), and with bit-perfect music players.

I have listened to both a bit, but more the Aika as of now (trying to run them through their paces one by one). We could start with impressions of the build and aesthetic, by simply saying that both sets are absolutely beautiful, and comfortable as can be (for my eyes and ears). Nothing lacking on either set... period.

As for initial impressions for sound, the Aika are kind of a mixture of things all rolled into one earbud. When we talk about bass quantity, these are near perfect for my normal preferred signature. In other words, they aren't quite neutral, they are boosted a bit, which gives a nice fullness to the overall sound, but they also aren't in your face either. When I am looking for my "guilty pleasure" of a much boosted bass set, these aren't that. The bass overall is pretty linear sounding. Or, put simply the sub bass is higher than the mid bass, which is higher than the upper bass (as it should be to be technically correct). This DOES mean that they don't sound quite as punchy or tight as other sets might, but the texture is there, and they can reach pretty low without muddying up the mids. This also means that on songs the rely on all mid bass, these MIGHT come across as "bass light".... JUST until you hear some sub bass kick in and realize "nope, these are NOT bass light". Having said that, all the bass is there all the time, and is well separated (bass guitar from kick drum, from low synth, etc...). I wouldn't call the upper lows boosted too much, but these definitely come across as having some nice warmth.

These are NOT a mid forward bud. I also wouldn't call them totally recessed either. I might call these a mild W tuning. The mids are't quite as strong in the lower mids as they are in the upper mids but they are neither too thin, nor too thick sounding. These have a bit of a boost to the presence region, but in a tasteful way. They don't hurt my ears here.

The treble seems to have some dips in areas, but I don't really hear any spikes to make it sound "off" to my ears. The cymbals, for instance aren't laid back enough to sound recessed, but are not boosted so as to make them sound louder than the rest of the drums (this is an excellent thing). This is where I hear the dip, but it is a good thing IMO. Because the treble has no spikes or huge dips, the second harmonics passed on to other frequencies is just right. The upper treble seems a bit boosted to me and adds some nice air to things. This makes for a presentation that is smooth, yet precise and airy.

The technicalities on these things are a dream. Because of the small dip in the mids, there is a perceived depth that just sounds gorgeous. As for width, all I can say is: man, are these OUT OF MY HEAD sounding. Anything from Clapton, or Herbie Hancock, etc... just sound sublime on these. With most metal though the separation seems to allow for some congestion, but it is not horrible (I would simply consider it average). But imaging is really good here. The resolution is really good here as well. Live recordings sound awesome with this set. The things I mentioned give the overall presentation a sound where NOTHING is intimate sounding.

Another note is that these are indeed revealing, and if your recording sounds like crap, these won't "dress it up" for you. These also won't be my favorite for any really aggressive sounding music. These were appropriately named, and sound at their best with milder music (though they do NOT sound bad with anything in the opposite direction either).

When I listen to these, I am reminded of the FQL Caelum, and if anyone remembers them, the Hifiman HE800 Silver, but with different elements in the specific parts of the tuning.

As for the Artiste, only a few words for now. These are pretty Chaconne(esque) in their overall tuning (or even the OG HD800 without the spike) but are more aggressive in their overall sound. This is to say, that they are like a really good diffuse tuning without the overly boosted presence region. These are detail MONSTERS! If you are sensitive to really revealing treble, these aren't for you. I am not sensitive to treble unless it is sibilant though (which, surprisingly, these are not), so these are a REALLY good sound. Also, if you are after a full bassy sounding set, these won't be for you either. But, boy do they sound fantastic with the right music. These come fairly close to the Chaconne. I would say that these are a sublime critical or analytical set. Classical sounds VERY nice indeed!

Having said that, they aren't Chaconne clones by any means. They have their own personality, and are just enough different from the Chaconne that they compliment them rather than compare to them. More on these later.

Here at the end, I wanted to offer a disclaimer. @mt877 made a gift of these to me, so please don't PM him and ask to buy sets (he doesn't sell them). Like FranQL, he does it for the joy of building something, rather than for profit. He paid for all the material for both sets and including shipping to me. He would NOT let me pay him for anything. However, I would bet he might (re)share the build for you to try for yourself if you would like. I also wanted to thank him again (profusely). Both of these sets are fantastic sounding buds, and I will never part with them. Your kindness will not be forgotten, and will come back to you in spades, my brother.

How does Chaconne Killer compare to Aquila and Blue Moon?

 

[Okcerg]

Hi earbudders, is Qian39 a good place to start? I like warm tuning and non offensiv treble. Cheers!

 

[jogawag]

Hi earbudders, is Qian39 a good place to start? I like warm tuning and non offensiv treble. Cheers!

I think the Qian39 is the smallest earbuds with warm tuning and a non offensiv treble, so it fits easily in any ear and is a great first earbuds for you.

You should also buy the following earpads (VE Ex-pack) in case they are too small.
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005003133195399.html

 

[Okcerg]

I think the Qian39 is the smallest earbuds with warm tuning and a non offensiv treble, so it fits easily in any ear and is a great first earbuds for you.

You should also buy the following earpads (VE Ex-pack) in case they are too small.
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005003133195399.html

Ok thanks!

Edit: Ordered Qian39. Cheers!

 

[mt877]

I wanted to share something with all of you. Yesterday, I received in the mail two new members of my earbud family. These were made by our very own @mt877. I am pretty sure that he has given build instructions on at least one of these (if not both). If he has given instructions for both, my advise to you is to go and get the materials, and build both sets right now.

Spoiler: MT Aika (meaning "Love Song") & MT Artiste "Nightingale"

I suppose I have given away whether I like them or not, but I will offer my initial impressions anyhow. Firstly, know that I am listening to both sets in their stock form (meaning with the cable included, and with the foams included as well). I used my new DAC/EQ/amp stack for all testing, but I plan on using them on my DX300 & DX160 & M0 as well to test synergy. I used my local music for playback (about 30K songs), which is to say that I am not using a specific playlist, but set "all tracks" to shuffle, and just listen. I am listening at about 90dB (guessing) for most music. Also, I am listening to the stock tuning; no EQ, or tone control, or Xbass, or 3d Holograpy (basically no DSP or ASP in the entire chain), and with bit-perfect music players.

I have listened to both a bit, but more the Aika as of now (trying to run them through their paces one by one). We could start with impressions of the build and aesthetic, by simply saying that both sets are absolutely beautiful, and comfortable as can be (for my eyes and ears). Nothing lacking on either set... period.

As for initial impressions for sound, the Aika are kind of a mixture of things all rolled into one earbud. When we talk about bass quantity, these are near perfect for my normal preferred signature. In other words, they aren't quite neutral, they are boosted a bit, which gives a nice fullness to the overall sound, but they also aren't in your face either. When I am looking for my "guilty pleasure" of a much boosted bass set, these aren't that. The bass overall is pretty linear sounding. Or, put simply the sub bass is higher than the mid bass, which is higher than the upper bass (as it should be to be technically correct). This DOES mean that they don't sound quite as punchy or tight as other sets might, but the texture is there, and they can reach pretty low without muddying up the mids. This also means that on songs the rely on all mid bass, these MIGHT come across as "bass light".... JUST until you hear some sub bass kick in and realize "nope, these are NOT bass light". Having said that, all the bass is there all the time, and is well separated (bass guitar from kick drum, from low synth, etc...). I wouldn't call the upper lows boosted too much, but these definitely come across as having some nice warmth.

These are NOT a mid forward bud. I also wouldn't call them totally recessed either. I might call these a mild W tuning. The mids are't quite as strong in the lower mids as they are in the upper mids but they are neither too thin, nor too thick sounding. These have a bit of a boost to the presence region, but in a tasteful way. They don't hurt my ears here.

The treble seems to have some dips in areas, but I don't really hear any spikes to make it sound "off" to my ears. The cymbals, for instance aren't laid back enough to sound recessed, but are not boosted so as to make them sound louder than the rest of the drums (this is an excellent thing). This is where I hear the dip, but it is a good thing IMO. Because the treble has no spikes or huge dips, the second harmonics passed on to other frequencies is just right. The upper treble seems a bit boosted to me and adds some nice air to things. This makes for a presentation that is smooth, yet precise and airy.

The technicalities on these things are a dream. Because of the small dip in the mids, there is a perceived depth that just sounds gorgeous. As for width, all I can say is: man, are these OUT OF MY HEAD sounding. Anything from Clapton, or Herbie Hancock, etc... just sound sublime on these. With most metal though the separation seems to allow for some congestion, but it is not horrible (I would simply consider it average). But imaging is really good here. The resolution is really good here as well. Live recordings sound awesome with this set. The things I mentioned give the overall presentation a sound where NOTHING is intimate sounding.

Another note is that these are indeed revealing, and if your recording sounds like crap, these won't "dress it up" for you. These also won't be my favorite for any really aggressive sounding music. These were appropriately named, and sound at their best with milder music (though they do NOT sound bad with anything in the opposite direction either).

When I listen to these, I am reminded of the FQL Caelum, and if anyone remembers them, the Hifiman HE800 Silver, but with different elements in the specific parts of the tuning.

As for the Artiste, only a few words for now. These are pretty Chaconne(esque) in their overall tuning (or even the OG HD800 without the spike) but are more aggressive in their overall sound. This is to say, that they are like a really good diffuse tuning without the overly boosted presence region. These are detail MONSTERS! If you are sensitive to really revealing treble, these aren't for you. I am not sensitive to treble unless it is sibilant though (which, surprisingly, these are not), so these are a REALLY good sound. Also, if you are after a full bassy sounding set, these won't be for you either. But, boy do they sound fantastic with the right music. These come fairly close to the Chaconne. I would say that these are a sublime critical or analytical set. Classical sounds VERY nice indeed!

Having said that, they aren't Chaconne clones by any means. They have their own personality, and are just enough different from the Chaconne that they compliment them rather than compare to them. More on these later.

Here at the end, I wanted to offer a disclaimer. @mt877 made a gift of these to me, so please don't PM him and ask to buy sets (he doesn't sell them). Like FranQL, he does it for the joy of building something, rather than for profit. He paid for all the material for both sets and including shipping to me. He would NOT let me pay him for anything. However, I would bet he might (re)share the build for you to try for yourself if you would like. I also wanted to thank him again (profusely). Both of these sets are fantastic sounding buds, and I will never part with them. Your kindness will not be forgotten, and will come back to you in spades, my brother.

Bro, thank you for all your kind words and your impressions. I may have gifted you the earbuds, but you gave me so much more in return. Just knowing that you'll continue to enjoy some buds that I built for years to come is the real ultimate satisfaction.