They didn't last long.

Those are really nice, BTW (if your player supports them), just as fast as internal storage. Edit: I noticed they're sold out, but you can still get this Silicon Power 256GB for $90. Yes, it's a real 256GB card, not a hacked fake, I have one of these in my camera and it works like a champ...

Pound for pound, probably the best value in IEMs, period. They sound as good as, if not better than, competitors costing >5x more. KZ ZS6 Custom-built Hybrid HiFi In-ear Earphones - $31 https://www.gearbest.com/earbud-headphones/pp_770863.html

They do use MMCX and do respond well to balanced cable upgrades. IMO, these do require a lot of EQ to get a neutral sound out of them, they're very, very dark without it, but fortunately they do EQ well and have beautiful, if slightly forward (+2dB), mids. From that perspective they've caught on...

ebay deal alert: If you don't want to wait for a set of MD HD6XX, here's a source for HD650s, new and unopened, with warranty, for $259.

https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=26-380-027 Beyerdynamic MMX41 iEs for $17. They're merely okay but can take workout abuse, so there's that.

$150 here. https://www.ebay.com/itm/391842396550

Contact Razordog audio, see what they have.

Some advice. Stay in line for the Stratus but also keep an eye on Audiogon. That's how I bought my EC BA, I got in line for a new one and found exactly the same on Audiogon 5 months later, virtually brand new (only 9-10 hrs on it), for $600 less. Then when my new one arrived I had a brand new...

My other 3 sets will be in today, can't wait to see the carnage and get a better idea just how bad their QC is. Stay tuned! :confounded:

Screw it. I went ahead and ordered 3 more sets (6 total), 2 from Amazon and 1 more from Monoprice and I'm going to see how many are bad and how much they vary. We'll find out.

So far I've received 3 sets of these and all 3 have been defective in some way. QC on these from the OEM seems to be very poor. :head_bandage:

The new balanced silver cable I made for my Flare Pros. Turned out okay, gets the job done. The 2.5mm TRRS plug is one I already had laying around, I may upgrade to a better one later.

It's fine. They still get more body out of a desktop amp, though.

Obviously, that's why I'm moving on (and I referenced the AEONs in my replies, even). Did you? ------------------ Anyhow, I'm moving on to test the AEONs with portable gear, and not too surprisingly, they sound pretty thin directly out of my DP-X1a, even balanced, so I had to EQ in a little...

Stock tubes are fine.

I thought I just did. :wink: Yes, I think it's a very good value.

Yeah, "Good enough" is accurate. It's not bad, but you get little authority and weight down low. For a low impedance headphone the Aeon does take some current to get the most out of them.

While most phones will make them loud, without a proper amp you'll get very little bass response (they sound quite lean and thin). My pre-release V30 is okay (esp after some EQ), but even a small, inexpensive amp like the FiiO Q1 Mk2 is better at driving them properly.

Most people don't compare open and closed headphones, especially not when there's a >$3000 difference between them. :thinking:

^^ Yeah, $50-55 is the "good deal" range, $60+ is average.

How much of an upgrade to the battery is it? I think the OEM is 1800mAh.

I honestly can't decide which I like better, the Aeons or the Audeze LCD-XC, and given the price disparity that's quite an achievement by Dan @mrspeakers. Obviously I like them for different reasons; the LCD-XCs are warmer, more lush, and have a velvety smoothness, while the Aeons have superior...

I think he means the foam is backwards inside the leather of the pad, or something like that, creating a weird gap. :)

Yeah, what a surprise, a closed headphone can't keep up with open headphones in some ways. I am shocked. :astonished: