The SHE3800 I got from AE was atrocious and a driver started rattling after minutes of use. Yet, others swear by them. "Fake" or not, there are clearly multiple different variants of the 3800 floating around, and it's practically impossible to tell which one you're ordering.

Can anyone comment on the ME80's volume level compared to any other popular buds? Also, any descriptions of sound signature differences between ME80 and Fengru Silver?

Appreciate this type of description a ton, and wish it were a bit more prevalent in this thread when people talk about receiving new buds. Based on "recessed and not airy" highs, I feel comfortable passing on the B40!

As resident n00b, I'm unfamiliar with this luckybag business... do those buds usually become more widely available at a higher price later on, or will they just disappear after this run? If it's bright and forward, I'm willing to try it at $7.99, but more as a sampler to buy more pairs later if...

Yeah, white cable but transparent shells... good to know. It's decent, but conspicuously lacking in bass (even just compared to most of the other popular buds I ordered from AE) and kind of thin sounding overall. If the UE or Plus versions have a truly noticeable boost in bass quantity that...

I'll be curious to hear your impressions of the difference between the RY4S variants. I got the standard ($3) pair and found them a little underwhelming. I'm skeptical that the MMCX/Plus version would be drastically different, but might bite on a pair if someone doing a side-by-side comparison...

This is a dumb question, but where does everyone recommend getting donuts from? I've ordered 10+ pairs of buds on AE, but all have come with only full foams. I also ordered a sub-$1 bag of spare foams that turned out to be incredibly low quality (consistently ripping when putting on), so I'd...

Unfortunately I threw the packaging away right after receiving them, but here's the connector. It actually looks more like the first pic in your post that you identify as genuine than the second pic of your pair. But man, I can't overstate how bad these are (or were, before the rattling started...

I ordered a pair of SHE3800s from AE for about $4, but I think they may be fake. The sound was unbelievably boxy (as if sound was coming through a literal wall), and one of the drivers started rattling badly about 10 minutes into my first listening session. Certainly sounded nothing like H180s...

Received the Fengru TC300 earlier and just updated my main review post. Will also paste my first impressions here, since I haven't found much else on HF about them. ------------- Relatively flat and balanced EQ. Moderately wide soundstage. Good clarity. I bought these after receiving my first...

I'm guessing you already have, but just in case, try with full/thick foams. I thought the same thing out of the box without any foams on, and adding them made a world of difference. Definitely still on the harsh side, but far bassier and not tinny IMO with foams.

What's the difference in signature like between the 1.0 and 1.0+CE?

Any recs for cheap MMCX cables? I'm probably going to try the RY4S Plus, but can't be bothered to spend $10-20 on a cable to go with it, which is about all I'm seeing on AE. There have to be decent options under $5, no?

That's for sure. I have little doubt that someone listening almost exclusively to acoustic or classical could have radically different opinions about virtually all these buds than I do. Hopefully, my description of the sound signatures is at least useful, even if I throw in some shade for some...

Intro and Biases I just started looking at this forum, and cheap buds in general, within the last couple months. I’ve used Sennheiser MX365s for years without really knowing of any decent, affordable alternatives. So needless to say, I’ve jumped into amassing these ChiFi buds pretty quickly, and...

There's a strange tendency I've noticed for music to sound slightly pitch-shifted or sped up if I stay up really late at night, like hours past when I normally would. Doesn't happen reliably, but has enough times that I'm not sure it's a coincidence. No substances necessarily involved, either...

Fans of the Fengru Silvers (TC200): have you found any buds that are very similar but with stronger bass? I'm so impressed with these, except for the low end (which isn't bad; just not great). Has anyone tried the TC300, and if so, how do they compare? I'm open to any and all recommendations...

I've ordered ~10 cheap buds recently, one of which was the H180. For me, it falls in the middle of the pack, despite being one of the few that cost me over $10 for a pair. I'd recommend either the TY Hi-Z HP32 or Fengru TC200. Both have a wide soundstage like the H180, but with better clarity...

Good to know. Just received the non-UE a couple days ago, along with the Fengru Silver and EMX500. I had high hopes for the RY4S given its reputation here and my preference for brighter and more forward sound, but so far it just seems a little too thin and lacking in bass. May have to try the UE...

In my opinion, the SL1.0+ and RY4S are quite different, to the point that I imagine most people would strongly prefer one over the other. The SL is very mid-centric and flat, while the RY4S is bright and emphasizes treble. Both have a relatively narrow soundstage and neither has a ton of bass...

Out of curiosity, how would you describe the sonic differences between the UE and non-UE?

Received a pair of Vidos the other day. Only tested them briefly so far, but they're about what I expected: tending toward dark and veiled, so not my cup of tea at all. Compared to the MX365, they're muddier and much less forward, but they do have better bass. Overall, I get why they have a good...

Interesting. I got some from eBay years ago and I'm 99% sure they're counterfeit, as they sound abysmal compared to all the other buds I've tried. I bought a real pair in a B&M store back in the day, and while it's been too long for me to remember the sound signature at all, I do remember when...

Speaking of MMCX: are there any decent bluetooth receivers with that interface you could use to make wireless buds that, unlike anything I've seen in stores, are actually listenable?

Nice. For reference, this is what I ordered: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32976364034.html Apparently the first gen HP-32s without the L-jack were a little different, but those don't seem to be for sale anymore, so I assume everything on the market now matches my description.