As one gets into the rarefied air of higher realms of IEMs, the driver count can get out of hand. The BGVP V12 boasted as much drivers as its name did- twelve balanced armatures. The creatively named BGVP (I think it stands for Budget Gears for Various Personalities) was established in 2015 in China. The name didn’t sound very quirky for long as the brand quickly shot to fame with a slew of successful products such as DM6, DH5, DMG, NE5, DM8, etc. BGVP ensured that the value for money proposition and customer delight was maintained at whatever price...

TRI is a premium arm of KBear. The China based KBear brand was established in 2014 by Shenzhen Lingyin Technology Co Ltd and was primarily catering to the budget audio gear segment. Since they were doing well in providing quality equipment that didn’t cost an arm and leg, KBear decided to go premium by launching their TRI brand in 2018. Post some successful launches such as the I3, TRI Audio was on the map as a manufacturer of high performance audio gear that also delivered good value. Thanks to my friend, I was able to try out the Starshine over an...

Symphonium Audio was born in 2016 out of a need of pursuit of perfection and the vision of three founders to carve their own path by revolutionizing the way the world listened to music. It was fitting that this company was born in Singapore- the land of opportunities, constant change and progress. Instead of rushing out in the market with a half-baked product, the guys at Symphonium Audio took their time in charting out their product roadmap and carefully cultivating relations with the right suppliers. Symphonium Audio broke into the scene in 2018...

The ESR Mk 1 was the first Empire Ears IEM that I tried extensively courtesy of a dear friend of mine. Empire Ears is an American family owned establishment that has been around for about 30 years or so. They handcraft their products in the USA and are proud of the attention to detail lavished upon them. They apparently inspect their IEMs under a microscope before shipping them out. Their lineup (available in universal and custom fits) is broadly divided into two: 1. X Series- Purported to be ‘raw and instinctive, unwavering in its singular...

I had the opportunity to listen to this classy pair of IEMs courtesy of a dear friend of mine for an extended period. I was trying out the more recent mid/higher end IEMs after a hiatus and what a place to start. Apparently, Softears was established in around 2017 in China and is associated with Moondrop, which in turn was founded by Herbert Zhang in 2015. I consider Softears as an independent higher end arm of Moondrop even though they share the same impressive research and manufacturing facilities. Softears appears to be trying to break out of...

I had the opportunity to listen to this lovely pair of IEMs courtesy of a dear friend of mine for an extended period. The UE TF10 was one of the first recommendations that I had received from this forum when I was out to buy an IEM back in 2012. While I had missed the boat on that one, I did buy and use the consumer grade UE 350 & 500. This UE18+ Pro was the second gen version and has a universal fit shell. I'm sure that this version is discontinued, but it was fun to take this thing through its paces. I should probably mention that I have a...

Damn..another one..   The Ultimate Ears 500 left me feeling lukewarm, to be honest. Though I had been initially impressed, as the days passed by, my liking for it faded rapidly with each passing day- something I never experienced with any other iem I owned.This was one IEM which I regretted buying, to be honest. No offense to any owners, but the UE500 didn't cut it for me. Fortunately, I spotted a JVC FXT90 going for sale along with an E7 and I pulled the trigger on them. I always wanted to own an FXT90 after hearing from Shotgunshane that these...

Why another iem?   The Creative EP630 was my 'beater' pair of iems- ie, a pair I used for casual and rough use. It was no SQ king, but it served me very well- it was more than 5 years old (IIRC) and it was still working when I gave it away to a friend. Now I didn't have a beater pair to use. I use the W4-s during my long commute and while studying, the Grado SR60-s when I don't feel like using an iem and my bro uses the Pana HJE900-s. I had my eye on the UE 500 while I had been shopping for an iem earlier. I saw that it was going really cheap on...

Build Quality    The shells made of cubic zirconia is easily the most distinct aspect of the HJE900. It is almost indestructible and according to the literature, can only be scratched by diamond. The shells feel rock solid, has a cool blingy finish, looks and makes you feel good about your buy. The detachable cables with the non-proprietary connectors are a big bonus too. The solid build quality doesn't stop with the shells. The cable cinch has a brushed aluminum covering and the 3.5 mm jack socket is of the same material too. Ditto for the...

I'd bought these from a head-fier. My purchase was off to a rough start unfortunately, The left channel used to die out after half an hour of listening. Luckily, they were covered under warranty and I was able to secure a replacement.   I listen to rock and metal (FLAC lossless) and the Grado SR60 was my choice to listen to them. Using the W4-s is a totally different experience.   Bass: I found the bass levels to be perfectly adequate for almost every song I've listened to. Instead of massive quantity, I find that it has a delicate detailed...