I forgot to add Timmy's new IEM to my list of anticipation. It's unlikely to be a priority purchase given the price, but it's on the list to think about.

1. Kefine Delci 2. Tangzu Xuan NV 3. Penon Quattro (Holdover from last year) 4. 7hz Aurora

Noting these recommendations for later, I just got my Edition XS fitted with a leather band for comfort and was looking to give it something detailed and well recorded to play with.

I broke down and snagged a refurb model from Hifiman directly with a coupon code. $260 seemed like a good enough deal. The only concern I have is with the QC and, subsequently, the QC of their refurbs. I've had really good luck with high-end lens refurbs from Canon, the QC is usually pretty...

Currently carrying the trusty AirPods Pro (1st version, I’ll replace them when they die despite the 2nd gen being better by all accounts) the Hiby FC5 and a 4.4mm set, which happens to be the ARRTI R1 at the moment.

At the same time that I started using the Hades at my desk I swapped the ARRTI R1 into my work bag, I'm at the office again today and giving it some more ear time. And man, I am reminded how much I wish I liked the timbre of the high end. There's a really satisfying feeling to the bass and mids...

I feel like snagging a set of Xuan NVs, primarily because I think they look really cool and different, but secondarily because my Truthear Zeros (originals) are broken and I really want a dual-DD set with that vibe available in my collection.

This x1000, I was kind of all in on the Aurora assuming it would be similar in price to the Quintet, I was always meaning to snag a Quintet on sale to have a "detail monster" but I thought the Aurora would be a suitable replacement but for sure skipping that until further notice.

There's actually a couple songs I've heard where the tuning works. It's anything with very sparse soundscapes, I was just listening to the new Maggie Rodgers album and there's a song "On & On & On" that has vocals and a guitar with a thumping kickdrum beat in the background. The kick drum feels...

Swapped from the ARRTI R1 to the QKZxHBB Hades for today, and honestly? It's not good for music, but it cuts all the sibilance out of coworkers' mics on Teams calls, so it might be my new favorite set for workdays...

This looks really up my alley, and Timmy is one of the few remaining content creators I want to support monetarily. Putting this on my potential list.

Giving the ARRTI R1 another go for a while on my desk as the weather starts warming up and I can't stand having a set of cans on my head all day. Remembering how nice the included cable is but also how little I feel like it matches the color of the IEMs themselves. Looking forward to swapping in...

Snagging the Yanyin Canon II seems like a better and better choice looking back on it, all the major releases I see people talk about that I get excited for all turn out to me 1+4 or 2+4 and I think the Canon II has that configuration covered for me. Saving me so much money.

My top 3 currently, in a specific order: 1. Yanyin Canon II (UD switch configuration) 2. 7hz Zero 2 3. Tangzu x HBB Wu Zetian Heyday Edition

I got my Hades set in yesterday, my wife loves old-school v-shaped Sony headphones so I figured I'd give it a try for the low price. I don't hate them that much? The sound signature is v-shaped as hell, but it's kind of fun in a car-audio kind of way. I could see busting these out for some...

I'm the designated rabbit hole research guru in our relationship. I go insane diving down rabbit holes, find a good point of entry for her to obtain a one-and-done item in that hobby and move on. She's all set with just the Legato, I built her one mechanical keyboard, etc...

It's unclear if it offers anything over the Canon II for almost double the price. That's a tough pill to swallow.

I'm willing to give any bass-heavy set a chance, but that graph is not tempting looking. Match the Maestro Mini and I'm game at any price below $150, otherwise it's a wait and see.

What was your hi-fi album of the year? I'm kind of curious is everyone else has the same experience I have with listening to new music through the lens of being an audiophile. I always round up my favorite albums of the year, but I realized that in the last two years I've developed a secondary...

My current 3 most used are: Airpods Pro (1st gen) Tangzu Wu Zetian Heyday Edition Yanyin Canon II But the most used by a long shot are the airpods, but that's the nature of working from home.

I thought I was tongue-in-cheek enough to make it clear that I'm both interested in purchasing an IEM from them and hyperbolically apprehensive (I feel like if a hobby can't acknowledge that sending an email to a vendor to ask to purchase an unlisted product is a little... strange, then the...

Alright, I took the GK200 off the list for QC concerns, but now the Quintet and the Quattro are on the eventual buy list. I'd be more tempted to snag a Quattro if it wasn't some shady back-channel deal to get one. The Penon audio website is already sketchy enough, I don't need a black-market...

One hundo percent, I'm really excited to see if I get the same response. I'll never forget the shock I felt switching between my ancient Beats headphones and the first IEMs I got. Wondering if my ears were working correctly, that feeling hasn't happened again for me. I'm assuming chasing that...

7hz x Crinacle: Zero 2 Impressions I loved the 7hz Zero, it was the cheap IEM that let me know for sure I wanted to invest in expanding my collection. Even after I had amassed a number of the sub-$100 usual suspects it was the set that I would toss in my pocket to take on the go, or it was a...

If I'm going to save up that much to buy something I'm getting another camera lens, not a headphone/earphone