[DenverW]

Find a 20-50 dollar iem that you really like, and then find an iem with a comparible sound signature in the mid fi sub $250 range. What kind of differences do you notice? Is it worth it? If you find it is then try again with a sub 500, 1k, 2k range iem. You're not going to find the answer in this thread.

 

[The Jackal 44]

i am only a few months into this hobby and i have only tried cheap iems but i struggle to understand what expensive iems provides more soundwise, i've seen from youtube videos that some people have mistaken cheap iems for expensive ones which baffles me more. juding from reviews the biggest differences are tuning, which doesn't make sense to me because Eqing exists, and i don't get how tuning affects price and SOUND QUALITY itself since there no objectively "bad tuning". another difference are the materials which from my knowledge doesn't necessarily improve the sound quality just how the iem themselves feel, then there are the drivers which i do not know much about, what i do know however is that a single dynamic driver which is present in a lot of iems from cheap to expensive is more than enough to produce great sound. lastly there are technicalities which i still struggle to understand.. at all, the most i know are that on some iems i can hear the instruments more as in i can tell which instruments are being played better. can someone please educate me? my main motive for this question is because i want an upgrade to my moondrop lan which i found lackluster

There are some "cheap" items such as Schiit Asgard that give me enough of a bang for the buck, compared to some much higher end items. This is not to say that a MUCH more expensive item doesn't sound as good (to me), but the value of sounding a little better, does not make it worth the price (to me).

 

[Taila]

I feel like when talk about expensive vs cheap comparisons are done, the research and development (R&D) is often not talked about.
If Company B copies what what Company A did, then CB might use off the shelf components and use CA’s configuration to put out a far cheaper product.
CB’s product might be close enough to CA’s product that some people might then not be able to understand why CA who might have spent years paying people and buying test equipment to develop the product charges so much more.
This is often overlooked. I’m not saying it’s always the case, but it makes a massive difference in pricing. And I’m also not saying there’s no snake oil, sometimes there is.

Also when we talk diminishing returns, people often don’t understand that a lot of work has still been done even if the results are no day and night difference.
For example, an 4K screen doesn’t look much visually poorer than 8K at all, and yet 4K is only 8.3 million pixels while 8K is 33 million pixels which is several magnitudes of difficulty to present.

So yes in terms of what audio gear you buy, it’s your choice, whether on the cheaper end or expensive. Just work within your budget and taste.

 

[Redcarmoose]

It seems now the $500 and under realm of IEM production is on fire at the moment. And if you look at the posts on Head-Fi you see a lot of energy and hoopla devoted to that particular segment of the market. These new companies are taking IEM production serious and making results. They are asking what is possible for even under $80?

Though there are many ways to skin a cat. And the crazy part about IEM production is once they are made, that’s the only interface you have or need as far as interacting with the company.

Sure we would all like to buy from the giants who own past market share and have big buildings to make oceans of stuff. It’s called economy of scale. But the few little guys are even one man operations and still deliver, with next to zero overhead.

While as it seems I have seen tiny one man start-up in the handfuls for 2023. And reports are promising.....It’s always getting the best sound for the money. And there are actually many that don’t even know what the best sound is. Though if it plays their genres great then more power to them. I was a slow learner myself with no musical training, per say.

But we must remember everyone is on their own trajectory. Everyone is always leaning and becoming a better critic. But it’s whole systems that take the roll. Meaning it’s the files, the DAP, the cable and the IEM.